tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524582297249728998Sun, 02 Aug 2015 17:51:12 +0000Author F-LreviewAuthor A-EAuthor M-SCozy MysteryGiveawayMailbox MondayTeaser TuesdayAuthor T-ZSaturday SnapshotShow Me Five Saturday memeBlog tourRomanceContempory fictionGuest PostAwards 2009FictionWaiting on Wednesday memeWordless Wednesdayliteray fictionChick LitMysterySourcebooksWinnerWinnersReview/giveawaypersonal storyHistorical fictionThrillerVBTWaterbrook/RHchildren's litreveiwChick Lit ChallengeChristian fictionFirst Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday IntroRandom thoughtsWeekend CookingCozy Challenge 2009Cozy Mystery Challenge 2010NetgalleyRecipeMemePenguin GroupWondrous Words WednesdayChunkster Challenge 2010HistoricalRomantic ComedyTypically British Challenge 2010WWIIchildren's booksSouthern litSweet SaturdayTLC ToursWorld War IIAmish fictionOutdoor WednesdayRomantic SuspenseWomen's fictionWorld War II Challengenon-fictionComedy of mannersCover AttractionMonday Mailboxmemoir2009Author SpotlightBritish village lifeCSN officeChallenge 2011 Mystery and SuspenseGuest post/StanleyInterviewIntrigueOn This Date in HistoryPartners in CrimeRead in 2009 listReading from My Shelves Project 2010Southern fictionSpotlightYA fictionpicture tagreview policyreview: Bookcase from CSN2009 World War II ChallengeBooking through ThursdayBrownChallenge 2011Challenges 2012Children's DVDCivil warCivil WarComedyContemporary fictionCookbookCozy challenge 2012 listFantasyFollow-upFriday FindsGiGuest post/SlanInterview: Carolyn HartInterview: Maria MurnaneItalian artKiller SummerLMacmillanMagicMaria MurnaneOff the Shelf challenge 2012Paranormal RomancePenguin TriviaPenguin/PlumePocketbooksPodunkQARead from My Shelves ProectRead in 2009 list year end wrap upRead in 2010 listRead in 2011Scituate harborScituate rocksStatusSuspenseThe Italian LoverYear end wrap upbbawbook tourchocolatechristianfinancialnominationspenguinsread in 2012seasonalshort storieswrap up 2010Pudgy Penguin Perusalshttp://kayespenguinposts.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Kaye)Blogger791125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524582297249728998.post-7771067326254873896Sun, 31 May 2015 17:37:00 +00002015-08-02T07:48:14.558-04:00Review: Making Your Mind Up by Jill Mansell<div class="row"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1173140525l/250566.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="250566" border="0" height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1173140525l/250566.jpg" width="227" /></a></div><span itemprop="bookFormatType"></span><br /><span itemprop="bookFormatType"><br /></span><span itemprop="bookFormatType"><br /></span><span itemprop="bookFormatType">Hardcover</span>, <span itemprop="numberOfPages">352 pages</span></div><div class="row">Published January 30th 2006 by Headline Review <nobr class="greyText"> (first published 2006)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</nobr>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </div><div class="buttons"><a class="left inter actionLinkLite" href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/250566.Making_Your_Mind_Up?from_search=true&amp;search_version=service#" id="bookDataBoxShow" style="display: none;">more details...</a> <br /><div class="uitext" id="bookDataBox" style="margin: 10px 0px;"><div class="clearFloats"><div class="infoBoxRowTitle">ISBN: 0755304896 <span class="greyText">(ISBN13: <span itemprop="isbn">9780755304899</span>)</span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </div></div><div class="clearFloats"><div class="infoBoxRowTitle">edition language : English</div></div></div></div>From Goodreads:<br /><br /><span id="freeText8628898502971229203"><em>Lottie Carlyle isn't looking for love when she meets her new boss, Tyler Klein. Living in a beautiful cottage with her two adorable - sometimes - kids in an idyllic village in the Cotswolds, on good terms with her ex-husband and with friends all around, she's happy enough with her lot. But Tyler's perfect for Lottie and quickly she falls for him - and he for her. Unfortunately, there's a problem. For reasons that are totally unfair, Lottie's children HATE Tyler. When a rival for Lottie's affections comes on the scene in the shape of charmer Seb, the children adore him, and he's certainly a distraction. But he's not Tyler - and he's not even at all what he seems. Lottie's got a problem - but thanks, in classic Jill Mansell style, to a tobogganing accident and a delicious series of mix-ups, all will be revealed and true love will find a way.</em></span><br /><em><br /></em><strong>My thoughts</strong>: <br /><div class="uitext stacked darkGreyText" id="details"><div class="row"><br />Ah, another Jill Mansell book; always a&nbsp;fun read and &nbsp;never a disappointment. Her stories consistently have light&nbsp; moments along with tender moments and lots of heart. Toss in some humor and what you get is an enjoyable few hours of reading pleasure. <br /><br />I think it is&nbsp;the characters that are so endearing and the situations they get themselves into that makes for such a fun reading experience. Mansell really gives her characters personality, so much so that they come to life on the page with plenty of scintillating verve. Mansell really knows how to show her characters' feelings and their coping mechanisms for the relationships they're in. I've yet to find one that has let me down. <br /><br />Making Your Mind Up is a reprint from 2006. Even so, it is still timely and a wonderful piece of women's contemporary fiction.<br /><br />&nbsp;For two former reviews of Mansell's books please click on the following links:<br /><a href="http://kayespenguinposts.blogspot.com/2015/01/review-unexpected-consequences-of-love.html">http://kayespenguinposts.blogspot.com/2015/01/review-unexpected-consequences-of-love.html</a><br /><br /><a href="http://kayespenguinposts.blogspot.com/2015/01/review-unexpected-consequences-of-love.htm">http://kayespenguinposts.blogspot.com/2015/01/review-unexpected-consequences-of-love.htm</a><br /><br />You can tell I really like her books! 4****<br /><br /></div></div><br /><div style="border-image: none;">Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Netgalley/Sourcebooks Landmark&nbsp; in exchange for my honest opinion. </div><div class="separator" style="border-image: none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/245/67B844A459B8EF7893A6AC469D545CC0.png" style="background: none; border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor;" /></a></div>http://kayespenguinposts.blogspot.com/2015/05/review-making-your-mind-up-by-jill.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kaye)6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524582297249728998.post-5909841935037291442Sat, 25 Apr 2015 18:58:00 +00002015-04-25T14:58:03.807-04:00Review: Sisters of Heart and Snow by Margaret Dilloway<br /><a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1411931100l/22571664.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="22571664" border="0" height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1411931100l/22571664.jpg" width="211" /></a><br />Hardcover, 400 pages<br />Expected publication: April 7th 2015 by G.P. Putnam's Sons <br />ISBN: 0399170804 (ISBN13<br /><br /><br />The award-winning author of <strong><em>How to Be an American Housewife</em></strong> returns with a poignant story of estranged sisters, forced together by family tragedy, who soon learn that sisterhood knows no limits.<br /><br />Rachel and Drew Snow may be sisters, but their lives have followed completely different paths.<br /><br />Married to a wonderful man and a mother to two strong-minded teens, Rachel hasn’t returned to her childhood home since being kicked out by her strict father after an act of careless teenage rebellion. Drew, her younger sister, followed her passion for music but takes side jobs to make ends meet and longs for the stability that has always eluded her. Both sisters recall how close they were, but the distance between them seems more than they can bridge. When their deferential Japanese mother, Hikari, is diagnosed with dementia and gives Rachel power of attorney, Rachel’s domineering father, Killian becomes enraged.<br /><br />In a rare moment of lucidity, Hikari asks Rachel for a book in her sewing room, and Rachel enlists her sister’s help in the search. The book—which tells the tale of real-life female samurai Tomoe Gozen, an epic saga of love, loss, and conflict during twelfth-century Japan—reveals truths about Drew and Rachel’s relationship that resonate across the centuries, connecting them in ways that turn their differences into assets. <br /><br /><b>My thoughts</b>: Dilloway has done it again! She captured my attention from the cover; precursor of what was to come - hard, cold, steely image entwined with soft fragile flowers.. The &nbsp;characters of both caliber found inside . Told from points of views from strong women, one of the twelfth&nbsp; century Japan and sisters from present day San Diego.<br /><br />Sisters of Heart and Snow is a wonderful story of&nbsp;family drama, sisterhood/love and motherhood. When Hikari, mother of Rachel and Drew, requested the book, the sisters are somewhat baffled as to the meaning of it all. As time goes by, the sisters begin to empathize with the characters in the book, seeing themselves as either the samurai. Tomoe Gozen or Yamabuchi, housewife and mother.<br /><br />Both time frames are equally gripping as the women have to deal with life and all it's ups and downs. Not only do they learn a lot about their reticent mother but also a lot about themselves. One thing about Dilloway's books is the fact that the characters stick with me for a long time. I read <strong><em>How to be an American Housewife</em></strong> several years ago and still remember the plot, the characters and how much I liked the book. The same with <strong><em>The Care and Feeding of Roses</em></strong>. Dilloway is an extraordinary author in this respect. I've read hundreds of books since I read Dilloway's first and yet I still remember it while some books I read last week, I can't even remember a single character. This says a lot about the author's ability to capture the reader's attention and make the plot truly memorable. 4****<br /><br /><br /><div style="border-image: none;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/245/67B844A459B8EF7893A6AC469D545CC0.png" style="background: none; border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor;" /></a>Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by G.P. Putnam's Sons/Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. </div>http://kayespenguinposts.blogspot.com/2015/04/review-sisters-of-heart-and-snow-by.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kaye)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524582297249728998.post-8703496314984591182Thu, 02 Apr 2015 17:00:00 +00002015-04-19T08:36:14.152-04:00Review: The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessey by Rachel Joyce<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xAnNEP05YHw/VR1xWNeyLAI/AAAAAAAAHb8/DTjMymQak2Q/s1600/20588699queenie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xAnNEP05YHw/VR1xWNeyLAI/AAAAAAAAHb8/DTjMymQak2Q/s1600/20588699queenie.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a><br /><div class="row"><span itemprop="bookFormatType"><br /></span> <span itemprop="bookFormatType">Hardcover</span>, <span itemprop="numberOfPages">384 pages</span></div><div class="row">Published March 3rd 2015 by Random House <nobr class="greyText"> (first published October 7th 2014) </nobr> </div><div class="buttons"><a class="left inter actionLinkLite" href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20588699-the-love-song-of-miss-queenie-hennessy#" id="bookDataBoxShow" style="display: none;">more details...</a> <br /><div class="uitext" id="bookDataBox" style="margin: 10px 0px;"><div class="clearFloats"><div class="infoBoxRowTitle">ISBN: 0812996674 <span class="greyText">(ISBN13: <span itemprop="isbn">9780812996678</span>)</span></div></div><div class="clearFloats"><div class="infoBoxRowTitle">edition language: English</div></div><div class="clearFloats"><div class="infoBoxRowTitle">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </div></div><div class="clearFloats"><div class="infoBoxRowTitle">I really liked this one. By the author of<em> The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy</em> fills in the blanks of Queenie's friendship with former co-worker Harold Fry. I read Harold Fry a few years ago and enjoyed that one too. It was a little quirky but I liked the characters and the premise was so unusual; that of a man who hadn't spoken to a woman in twenty years, yet he sets out to walk 600 + miles across England to see her one more time before she dies. Maybe this sounds a little morbid but actually it isn't. I got really caught up in Harold's journey, the intriguing hints at his relationship to his son and wife.</div></div></div><br />In <em>The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy</em>, we learn a lot more about Harold's son and his relationship to Queenie through a letter she is writing to Harold while she waits for him to show up. <br /><br />I think Rachel Joyce did a fantastic job with her characters and setting. I was very emotionally invested in all of them and enjoyed her writing quite a bit. I think you could read <em>The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy</em> alone but I would recommend reading <em>The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry</em> first. <br /><br /><strong>Disclosure</strong>: A review copy of <em>The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy</em> was provided by Random House/Library Thing in exchange for my honest opinion.<br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/245/67B844A459B8EF7893A6AC469D545CC0.png" style="background: none; border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor;" /></a><br /><div style="border-image: none;">.</div></div>http://kayespenguinposts.blogspot.com/2015/04/review-love-song-of-miss-queenie.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kaye)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524582297249728998.post-7798314210150191065Tue, 24 Feb 2015 20:27:00 +00002015-02-24T15:30:21.033-05:00Author A-EHistorical fictionNetgalleyreviewReview: The Lost and the Blind by Declan Burke<div style="border-image: none;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1413128586l/22962325.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="22962325" border="0" height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1413128586l/22962325.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div style="border-image: none;"></div><div class="uitext stacked darkGreyText" id="details"><div class="row"><span itemprop="bookFormatType">Hardcover</span>, <span itemprop="numberOfPages">240 pages</span></div><div class="row">Expected publication: April 1st 2015 by Severn House Publishers&nbsp;<a class="left inter actionLinkLite" href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22962325-the-lost-and-the-blind?ac=1#" id="bookDataBoxShow" style="display: none;">ore details...</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </div><div class="buttons"><div class="uitext" id="bookDataBox" style="margin: 10px 0px;"><div class="clearFloats"><div class="infoBoxRowTitle">ISBN :0727884646 <span class="greyText">(ISBN13: <span itemprop="isbn">9780727884640</span>)</span><br />From Goodreads:&nbsp;</div></div></div></div></div><div style="border-image: none;"><span id="freeText1390475356440057175"><em>This gripping Irish thriller is an intriguing new departure for comic noir writer Declan Burke." <br />A dying man, if he is any kind of man, will live beyond the law. The elderly German, Karl Uxkull, was senile or desperate for attention. Why else would he concoct a tale of Nazi atrocity on the remote island of Delphi, off the coast of Donegal? And why now, 60 years after the event, just when Irish-American billionaire Shay Govern has tendered for a prospecting licence for gold in Lough Swilly? <br />Journalist Tom Noone doesn t want to know. With his young daughter Emily to provide for, and a ghost-writing commission on Shay Govern s autobiography to deliver, the timing is all wrong. Besides, can it be mere coincidence that Karl Uxkull s tale bears a strong resemblance to the first thriller published by legendary spy novelist Sebastian Devereaux, the reclusive English author who has spent the past 50 years holed up on Delphi? <br />But when a body is discovered drowned, Tom and Emily find themselves running for their lives, in pursuit of the truth that is their only hope of survival.</em></span><br /><br />&nbsp;My thoughts: For a book that is&nbsp;billed as a thriller, this one just did not do it for me. That's almost strange because I love books set in Ireland and I love&nbsp;conspiracy theories. Nazi characters involvement in a story fascinate me for some bizarre reason. So, all told, this should have been right up my alley. Wrong! <br /><br />I found the pace&nbsp;excruciatingly slow, the characters not well developed and the thriller bits were somewhat MIA. My attention kept wandering. This type of book should have had me spellbound and riveted to the pages. Sadly, that did not happen.<br /><br />I hate to write a negative review but honesty is my primary goal This is just&nbsp;MY experience with the book, you however&nbsp;might love it.&nbsp;Sorry, but this one garners the "meh" 2** rating from me.<br /><br />Declan Burke is a Goodreads author and can be found on his page <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/279156.Declan_Burke">here</a></div><div class="uitext stacked darkGreyText" id="details"><br /></div><div style="border-image: none;"><br /></div><div style="border-image: none;"><strong>Disclosure</strong>: A review copy of the book was provided by Severn House Publishers/Netgalley&nbsp;in exchange for my honest opinion. </div><div class="separator" style="border-image: none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/245/67B844A459B8EF7893A6AC469D545CC0.png" style="background: none; border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor;" /></a></div>http://kayespenguinposts.blogspot.com/2015/02/review-lost-and-blind-by-declan-burke.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kaye)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524582297249728998.post-6608996453857919610Wed, 18 Feb 2015 21:27:00 +00002015-02-19T10:00:36.138-05:00Author F-LHistorical fictionNetgalleyreviewReview: Meadowlands: A World War I Family Saga by Elizabeth Jeffrey<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1411944830l/22962330.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="22962330" border="0" height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1411944830l/22962330.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div style="border-image: none;"><br /></div><div class="row"><span itemprop="bookFormatType">Hardcover</span>, <span itemprop="numberOfPages">224 pages</span></div><div class="row">Expected publication: April 1st 2015 by Severn House Publishers </div><div class="buttons"><a class="left inter actionLinkLite" href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22962330-meadowlands?ac=1#" id="bookDataBoxShow" style="display: none;">more details...</a> <br /><div class="uitext" id="bookDataBox" style="margin: 10px 0px;"><div class="clearFloats"><div class="infoBoxRowTitle">ISBN: 0727884697 <span class="greyText">(ISBN13: <span itemprop="isbn">9780727884695</span>)</span> <br /><strong>From Goodreads:</strong> </div></div></div></div><span id="freeText6635813868811917959"><em>The comfortable, upper-class lives of the aristocratic Barsham family are set to change forever with the onset of World War I." <br />August, 1914. The silver wedding celebrations of Sir George Barsham, MP, and his wife, Lady Adelaide, are overshadowed by the declaration of war with Germany. Over the following months, as the male estate workers head for the Front and the maids disappear to work in the newly-opened munitions factory, the Barsham family s comfortable, aristocratic lifestyle is set to change forever. <br />Determined to do his bit for King and country, James Barsham enlists as an officer and heads for Flanders, leaving Lady Adelaide s maid Polly devastated. To Lady Adelaide s dismay, her younger daughter Millie learns to drive an ambulance: a most unladylike skill. Meanwhile Millie s sister Gina finds fulfilment in helping the local wives and children, left destitute while their husbands are away fighting. <br />During the course of the war, with devastating loses, the strength of character of the four Barsham siblings will be tested as never before. They will encounter hardship, danger, heartache and unexpected love.</em></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br /><br /><br /><strong>My Thoughts:.</strong> With the popularity of Downton Abby, a historical drama on PBS,it seems there have been quite a few books set during the same WWI timeframe all with all the same "upstairs downstairs" themes and characters seemingly from the same mold. I swear I've read about a butler ironing the newspaper over and over. I still remember Mr. Hudson from Upstairs, Downstairs, ( PBS drama from the 1970's) ironing the newspaper.&nbsp; So . . . . . . <br /><br />I started out thinking this was going to be one big&nbsp;clichéd story&nbsp;but then found myself engrossed in the book right away. I anxious to see what happened with all the &nbsp;characters especially&nbsp;Polly, James and Gina. I think the author did a credible job with the historical bits&nbsp;and feel of the time, especially the effects of wartime hardship&nbsp;on poor families. It is hard to imagine what those &nbsp;injured soldiers and their families went through but Ms. Jeffrey really brought these tragic circumstances to life.<br /><br />Okay, so a few bits were a tad predictable, and yes, Lady Adelaide was more than just a bit annoying, I still enjoyed the book immensely. If you're a fan of romance, family drama,&nbsp;historical/WWI stories or&nbsp;British fiction, this could be the book for you. 4****<br /><br /><strong> Elizabeth Jeffrey </strong><span id="freeTextauthor775251">was born and grew up in Wivenhoe, the village of her parents and grandparents. Far from being born with a quill in her hand, Elizabeth didn't start serious writing until after her children were born, beginning with short stories - on the premise that not so much paper was wasted if they were rejected! She won first prize in a short story competition run by the Daily Express, which led to an invitation to write for Mills &amp; Boon. This was a useful stepping stone and after publishing five titles for them she moved on to writing historical novels. Her third novel, Cassie Jordan, was short-listed for Angel Prize for East Anglian writers and later The Buttercup Fields (under the title. The Chair Mender,) was short-listed for the very first Catherine Cookson prize. She has written over 15 novels. <a href="http://www.severnhouse.com/author/Elizabeth+Jeffrey/9433">http://www.severnhouse.com/author/Elizabeth+Jeffrey/9433</a></span> &nbsp; Author&nbsp;info from Severn House Publishers website. <strong><br /></strong><br /><br /><div style="border-image: none;"><strong>Disclosure:</strong> A review copy of the book was provided by Severn House Publishers/Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. </div><div class="separator" style="border-image: none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/245/67B844A459B8EF7893A6AC469D545CC0.png" style="background: none; border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor;" /></a></div>http://kayespenguinposts.blogspot.com/2015/02/review-meadowlands-world-war-i-family.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kaye)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524582297249728998.post-1640835490933282400Sun, 08 Feb 2015 13:53:00 +00002015-02-08T08:53:27.884-05:00Author A-EChallenge 2011 Mystery and SuspenseChristian fictionreveiwMurder Tightly Knit by Vannetta Chapman <br /><br /><div class="content"><ul class="nav"><a class="dropDownOpener subnavlink" href="https://www.goodreads.com/book"></a> </ul><div class="mainContentContainer "><div class="mainContent"><div id="premiumAdTop"><div id="div-gpt-ad-3782459f8e" style="display: none; height: 66px; width: 970px;"><div id="google_ads_iframe_/4215/goodr.book.top.970x66_0__container__" style="border-image: none; border: 0pt currentColor;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="66" id="google_ads_iframe_/4215/goodr.book.top.970x66_0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="google_ads_iframe_/4215/goodr.book.top.970x66_0" scrolling="no" src="javascript:&quot;&lt;html&gt;&lt;body style='background:transparent'&gt;&lt;/body&gt;&lt;/html&gt;&quot;" style="border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor; vertical-align: bottom;" width="970"></iframe><br /></div><iframe frameborder="0" height="0" id="google_ads_iframe_/4215/goodr.book.top.970x66_0__hidden__" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="google_ads_iframe_/4215/goodr.book.top.970x66_0__hidden__" scrolling="no" src="javascript:&quot;&lt;html&gt;&lt;body style='background:transparent'&gt;&lt;/body&gt;&lt;/html&gt;&quot;" style="border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor; display: none; vertical-align: bottom; visibility: hidden;" width="0"></iframe> </div></div><div class="mainContentFloat"><div id="flashContainer"></div><div class="leftContainer" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Book"><div class="last col" id="topcol"><div class="col js-audible-experiments" id="imagecol"><div class="bookCoverContainer"><div class="bookCoverPrimary"><div style="border-image: none;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/photo/21460471-murder-tightly-knit" itemprop="image" rel="nofollow" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Murder Tightly Knit (Amish Village Mystery #2)" id="coverImage" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1408628537l/21460471.jpg" /></a>&nbsp;</div><div style="border-image: none;"><br /></div><div class="uitext stacked darkGreyText" id="details"><div class="row"><span itemprop="bookFormatType">Kindle Edition</span>, <span itemprop="numberOfPages">352 pages</span></div><div class="row">Published December 6th 2014 by HarperCollins Publishing </div><div class="buttons"><a class="left inter actionLinkLite" href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21460471-murder-tightly-knit?ac=1#" id="bookDataBoxShow" style="display: none;">more details...</a> <br /><div class="uitext" id="bookDataBox" style="margin: 10px 0px;"><div class="clearFloats"><div class="infoBoxRowTitle">ASIN</div><div class="infoBoxRowItem" itemprop="isbn">B00IWW52H4&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </div></div></div></div></div><div style="border-image: none;">From Goodreads:</div><div style="border-image: none;"><br /></div><div style="border-image: none;"><span id="freeText13843202576157077180"><em><strong>"</strong>In a town where Amish and&nbsp;Englisch&nbsp;mingle every day, a grisly murder leads to mutual suspicion. Can Amber and Hannah find the killer before fear unravels the community . . . or he strikes again?<br /><br />Even before she heard of Owen Esch’s death, Hannah Troyer knew something was amiss at The Cat’s Meow yarn shop. The store has been closing at odd times, the ever-dependable Mary isn’t always at her post . . . and an&nbsp;Englisch&nbsp;man h as been seen loitering around back.<br /><br />Now, as leaves of brown, gold, and orange blanket Middlebury, Indiana, Owen lies dead on the Pumpkinvine Trail. The only clues to the murderer’s identity point in two very different directions—one of them leading right to The Cat’s Meow.<br /><br />The police call in a federal investigator, but Hannah and Village manager Amber Bowman are in no mood to wait for them to figure out what they already know—that no one from the Amish Village could have killed Owen Esch.<br /><br />Amber and Hannah will need to work quickly to solve the murder mystery and bring harmony back to the Amish community."</em></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br /><br /></div><div class="uitext stacked darkGreyText" id="details"><div class="row"><br /></div><div class="row"><strong>My thoughts:</strong> Even though my first love in reading is a good mystery, in the last few years I have become very enamored of Amish fiction. Mix the two together and you have a winner! One of the best writers of this genre is Vannetta Chapman. She does both equally well. <br /><br /><br />One mark of a good mystery writer is the inclusion of several viable suspects and Chapman is quite adept at this. Of&nbsp;her six mysteries I have read, all of them have enough red herrings and suspects to keep the reader guessing. Isn't this the fun of reading a whodunit?<br /><br /><br /><em><strong>Murder Tightly Knit</strong></em> is the second book in the series. Readers do not need to have read the first, although I would recommend it as it was a very enjoyable read. Either book can stand alone. A very enjoyable read earning the 4**** rating from me. <br /><br /><br />Vannetta Chapman is the author of numerous works of Christian fiction featuring members of the Amish community<strong>. </strong>For more information, visit her at <a href="http://www.vannettachapman.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.VannettaChapman.com</a> or blog with her at <a href="http://vannettachapman.wordpress.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://vannettachapman.wordpress.com/</a>. She can also be found at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/VannettaChapmanBooks..." rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.facebook.com/VannettaChapmanBooks...</a></div><div class="row"><strong><br /></strong></div><div class="row"><strong>Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by HarperCollins/NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.</strong></div></div></div><div class="bookCoverActions" style="display: block;"><div class="coverButtonContainer"><div class="coverButton"><br /></div></div></div></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/245/67B844A459B8EF7893A6AC469D545CC0.png" style="background: none; border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor;" /></a></div><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div>http://kayespenguinposts.blogspot.com/2015/02/murder-tightly-knit-by-vannetta-chapman.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kaye)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524582297249728998.post-7238359013435468323Thu, 22 Jan 2015 14:03:00 +00002015-01-22T16:55:23.222-05:00Author M-SChick LitNetgalleyreviewReview: The Unexpected Consequences of Love by Jill Mansell<div style="border-image: none;"><span id="freeText1025829701020161865"></span></div><strong><br /></strong> <strong><br /></strong> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1413914558l/21996366.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="21996366" border="0" height="400" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1413914558l/21996366.jpg" width="262" /></a></div><div style="border-image: none;"><strong><br /></strong></div><div class="row" style="border-image: none;"><span itemprop="bookFormatType">Paperback</span>, <span itemprop="numberOfPages">432 pages</span></div><div class="row" style="border-image: none;">Expected publication: February 3rd 2015 by Sourcebooks Landmark </div><div class="buttons"><a class="left inter actionLinkLite" href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21996366-the-unexpected-consequences-of-love?ac=1#" id="bookDataBoxShow" style="display: none;">more details...</a> <br /><div class="uitext" id="bookDataBox" style="margin: 10px 0px;"><div class="clearFloats"><div class="infoBoxRowTitle">original title: The Unexpected Consequences of Love</div></div><div class="clearFloats"><div class="infoBoxRowTitle">ISBN: 1492602086 <span class="greyText">(ISBN13: <span itemprop="isbn">9781492602088</span>)</span> </div></div></div></div><strong>From Goodreads:</strong><br /><strong><br /></strong> <strong>Sophie has no interest in finding love. But what happens when love finds her?</strong><br /><br />Sophie Wells is a successful photographer with a focus on putting the past firmly behind her. When Josh Strachan returns to the seaside town of Cornwall from the States to run his family's hotel, he can't understand why the fun, sexy girl has zero interest in letting him-or any man for that matter-into her life. He also can't understand how he's been duped into employing Sophie's impulsive friend Tula, whose crush on him is decidedly unrequited. Both girls remain mum about the reasons behind Sophie's indifference to love. But that doesn't mean Josh is going to quit trying...<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br /><div class="uitext stacked darkGreyText" id="details"><div class="row"></div></div><strong>My thoughts</strong> : I have never read a Jill Mansell book that I didn't care for. I think I've read just about every book she has written and I've loved them all, a few more than others, but still they are all enjoyable reads. One of Mansell's strong points is her ability to write with her heart and still inject some (okay, lots) of humor into the situations. Every story has more than just a few "laugh out loud" moments. Some of the situations her characters get into just make me chuckle as they are so easy to imagine. Mansell is extremely adroit at bringing farce to life.<br /><br />In her latest, <strong><em>The Unexpected Consequences of Love</em></strong>, several of the characters find out that love endures even when you think it's not possible. The main character, Sophie, tries to shut off her emotions after a bad situation with her ex-husband but she finds this is not as easy to do as she first thought. I really liked Dot, the older character, who learns that age is not immune to love nor is it as easy to forego especially when a fluke incident puts someone's life is in danger. <br /><br />I really enjoyed Mansell's book and would highly recommend her to anyone who likes chick-lit, humorous British fiction or contemporary romance. There's something for everyone in her books! 4****<br /><br /><br />Jill Mansell, author of numerous books,&nbsp;can be found on her <a href="http://www.jillmansell.co.uk/">page</a>.<br /><br /><div style="border-image: none;">Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Sourcebooks/Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. </div><div class="separator" style="border-image: none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/245/67B844A459B8EF7893A6AC469D545CC0.png" style="background: none; border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor;" /></a></div>http://kayespenguinposts.blogspot.com/2015/01/review-unexpected-consequences-of-love.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kaye)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524582297249728998.post-4478500972625794151Thu, 01 Jan 2015 14:29:00 +00002015-08-02T13:51:12.191-04:00Read in 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ozvToVte5Po/UM5f0XJRo3I/AAAAAAAAG4w/FYMegbStUQo/s1600/PC160003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ozvToVte5Po/UM5f0XJRo3I/AAAAAAAAG4w/FYMegbStUQo/s320/PC160003.JPG" width="317" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br />Here is where I plan to keep a record of books read and to be read. Once I finish the book it will be rated. If there is no rating, it means I just want to read that book in that month.</div><div><strong>Ratings criteria or what I call the "put down, pick up factor":</strong></div><ul><li><strong>1*</strong>&nbsp;put it down and leave it down, couldn't stand it, best used as a paperweight, doorstop or kindling.</li><li><strong>2*</strong>&nbsp;meh, could take it or leave it but mostly leave it. I could put it down and not care if I picked it up again or not</li><li><strong>3*</strong>&nbsp;okay enjoyable read, although I liked it, I could put it down easily and not rush back to continue</li><li><strong>4*</strong>&nbsp;I really liked this one, I could put it down but reluctantly and was anxious to get back to it</li><li><strong>5*</strong>&nbsp;Loved it! Couldn't put it down and if I absolutely had to ( if something was on fire or flooding) I couldn't wait to get back to it.</li></ul><br /><br /><strong>January</strong><br /><ol><li>Wrapped in Death and Chocolate by C.S. Patra (kindle)&nbsp;1*</li><li>The Unexpected Consequences of Love by Jill Mansell (NG) &nbsp;4****</li><li>The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin (ccls/digital) 4****</li><li>Amish Summer by Kristina Ludwig (kindle) 1.5*</li><li>Careless in Red by Elizabeth George (pb) 3***</li><li>The Red Rooster&nbsp; by Michael Wallace &nbsp;(kindle) 4****</li><li>Blackbird, Fly by Lise McLendon (kinde) 3.5***</li><li>Eggs in a Casket by Laura Childs? (kindle) 3***</li><li>A Whole New&nbsp;Light by Sandra Brown (pb) 2**</li><li>The Art Forger by B. A. Shapiro &nbsp;(nook) $<span style="color: red;"><strong>1.93 </strong></span>4<strong>***</strong>*</li><li>The Siren of Paris by David Leroy &nbsp;(kindle ) 3***</li><li>Dead Before Morning by Geraldine Evans&nbsp;(pb) 4****</li><li>Out Cold by William Tapply 3.5***</li><li>My Heart Remembers by Kim Vogel Sawyer&nbsp; (nook) 3***</li><li>Midnight Promises by Sherryl Woods (pb) 4****</li><li>Murder Tightly Knit by Vannetta Chapman (NG) 3*</li><li>To the Grave by Steve Robinson (kindle) 4****</li><li>A Mind to Murder by P.D. James 3***</li><li>The Bartender's Tale by Ivan Doig (ccls bk club sel March)</li><li>A Distant Melody by Sarah Sundin (pb) 4****</li><li>Lisette's List by Susan Vreeland (ccls/digital) 3***</li><li>Winter Street by Elin Hilderbrand (ccls/digital) 4****</li><li>First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen (ccls) 4****</li></ol><br /><ol></ol><strong>February</strong><br /><ol><li>The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman (ccls/digital) 4***</li><li>Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda (pb) 3.5***</li><li>War Brides by Helen Bryan<span class="Apple-converted-space"><span style="color: red;">&nbsp;<span style="color: black;">4****</span> </span></span><strong><span style="color: red;">$.99</span></strong></li><li>Riptide by Paul Levine &nbsp;(kindle ) 3.5*</li><li>The Mazovia Legacy by Michael Rose (kindle)&nbsp;4****</li><li><span style="color: black;">How to Be a Good Wife by Emma Chapm</span>an (pb) 2**</li><li>Meadowlands by Elizabeth Jeffreys &nbsp;(<strong>NG</strong>) 4****</li><li>Valentined by Patricia Rockwell &nbsp;(kindle )&nbsp;3***</li><li>Legally Dead by Edna Buchanan (hc)&nbsp;4****</li><li>Trial by Fire by Nancy Taylor Rosenberg (hc) 4****</li><li>The Lost and the Blind by Declan Burke <strong>(NG</strong>)&nbsp;2.5**</li><li>Save the Date by Mary Kay Andrews (ccls/audio) 3***</li><li>A Change of Heart by Beth Wiseman (ccls/digital) 3.5***</li><li>Slow Waltz in Cedar Bend by Robert James&nbsp;Waller (hc) 3***</li><li>The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett (ILL) 3***</li><li>Tall, Dark and Deadly by Heather Graham (pb) 3.5***</li><li>Shadows on the Nile by Kate Furnivall (ILL)</li><li>Under the Hill by Sheila Connolly (kindle)</li><li>My Favorite Corpse by Kathy Carmichael (kindle)</li><li>Chef Maurice and the Rather Fishy Tale by J.A. Lang (kindle)</li><li>Waking Kate by Sarah Addison Allen (kindle)</li></ol><strong><br /></strong> <strong>March</strong><br /><ol><li>The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy by Rachel Joyce (LT) 4****</li><li>Roasted in Christmas River by Meg Muldoon (kindle)3***</li><li>The Big Bad City by Ed McBain (hc) 4****</li><li>Blood Magick by Norah Roberts (ccls/digital) 2**</li><li>Amish Love of a Lifetime by Sadie Palmer (kindle) 2**</li><li>The Hidden Man by David Ellis (arc) 4****</li><li>A Neighbor in Need&nbsp;by Melanie Schmidt (kindle) 3***</li><li>Snapdragon Murder by Carol Lee&nbsp;(kindle) 2.5**</li><li>Warsaw by Richard Foreman (kindle) 3.5***</li><li>A Murder Moist Foul by Carol Durand &nbsp;(kindle ) 3*</li><li>A Bicycle Built for Murder by Karen Kingsbury&nbsp;(kindle) 3.5***</li><li>The Day After Tomorrow by Alan Folsom&nbsp;3***</li><li>Tanglewood Plantation by Jocelyn Miller (kindle)<strong><span style="color: red;">&nbsp;<span style="color: black;">3.5***</span> $.99</span></strong></li><li><span style="color: black;">Murder by the Fool by Heather Stone (kindle) 3***</span></li><li>Too Near the Edge&nbsp;by Lynn Osterkamp (nook) 1*</li><li>Stuck in the Middle by Virginia Smith&nbsp;(nook) 3***</li><li>The Heart of Justice by William Coughlin (hc) 3***</li><li>A Perfect Love by Melanie Schmidt (kindle) 1*</li><li>Foreclosed by Tracy Tyne Hilton (kindle) 2**</li><li>Mercy&nbsp; by Jean Brashear (pb) 3***</li><li>Death is in the Air by Kate Kingsbury (ILL/pb) 3.5***</li><li>Still Life in Brunswick Stew by Larissa Reinhart (kindle)<span class="Apple-converted-space"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">&nbsp;3</span><span style="color: black;">***&nbsp;</span></span></span><span style="color: red;"><strong>$.99</strong></span></li><li><span style="color: black;">The Woman Next Door by Barbara Delinsky (pb) &nbsp;3.5***</span></li><li><span style="color: black;">Partners in Crime by Gallagher Gray (kindle) 3.5***</span></li><li>Fatal Burn by Lisa Jackson (pb) 4****</li><li>Sins of a Nation by Don McGraw<strong> </strong>(nook) 3.5***</li><li>At First Sight by Nicholas Sparks (pb) 3.5***</li><li>Death Cakes by Maggie Hunter (kindle) 1*</li><li>First Impressions by Norah Roberts (pb) 3***</li></ol><div><strong>April</strong></div><ol><li>For Whom Death Tolls by Kate Kingsbury (ILL) 4****</li><li>Blithe Images by Norah Roberts (pb) 4****</li><li>Sisters of Heart and Snow by Margaret Dilloway&nbsp;<strong>&nbsp;</strong>(NG )<strong> </strong>4****</li><li>Romeo's Tells by William Neubauer<strong> (</strong>Spring<strong> </strong>Challenge) ( kindle&nbsp;) 3.5***</li><li>The Far Side of the Sun by Kate Furnivall&nbsp;<strong> </strong>(ccls) 4****</li><li>Going, Going, Ganache by Jenn MacKinlay (ccls) 3.5***</li><li>In Their Blood by Sharon Potts (kindle) 4****</li><li>Seaside Secrets by Cindy Bell (kindle)&nbsp;2**</li><li>Dying to Read by Lorena McCourtney&nbsp; (kindle) 3***</li><li>Charity Begins with Murder by Annie McDowell (kindle) 3***</li><li>Just the Way You Are by Barbara Freethy<span class="Apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black;">&nbsp; (kindle) 4**** </span></span><strong style="color: red;"><span style="color: red;">$1.99</span></strong></li><li>One Wish by Robyn Carr (ccls) 4****</li><li>The Floating Girl by Sujata Massey (pb) 3***</li><li>All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (ccls) 3.5***</li><li>Edge of Eternity by Ken Follett&nbsp; (ccls/digital) 3***</li></ol><strong>May </strong><br /><ol><li>Night of the Storm by Lindsay Townsend (kindle) &nbsp;2.5**</li><li>The Race by Richard North Patterson ( pb) 4**** </li><li>Death of a Dapper Snowman &nbsp;by Angela Pepper&nbsp;<strong>&nbsp;(</strong>kindle)&nbsp;3***</li><li>Making up your Mind by Jill Mansell&nbsp; (kindle) (NG) 3***</li><li>Warm Hearts by Barbara Delinsky (pb) 1*</li><li>Grey Areas by Brad Carl (suspense) (kindle) 2**</li><li>Ruthlessness, Revenge and Raspberry Cheesecake by Alison Janda (kindle) 2**</li><li>Scorpion House by Maria Hudgens (kindle) 3***</li><li>Murder to Go by Chloe Kendrick (kindle) 3***</li><li>Poland by James Michener (pb) 4****</li><li>Corpse Way by Susan Parry&nbsp; (kindle)<strong>&nbsp;4****</strong></li></ol><strong>June</strong><br /><ol><li>Death Cart by Susan Parry (kindle) 3***</li><li>Widows by Ed McBain (pb) 4****</li><li>Grave Hand by Susan Parry (kindle) 4****</li><li>The Fifth Angel by Tim Green (pb) 4****</li><li>Out of Darkness by Ruth Price (bk 1-4) (nook) 2**</li><li>Who Murdered Mr. Malone? By Hope Callaghan &nbsp;(kindle ) 3***</li><li>Twisted &nbsp;Creek by Jodie Thomas &nbsp;(kindle )&nbsp;2**</li><li>Slated for Death by Elizabeth J. Duncan (ccls) 4****&nbsp;</li><li>A Week at the Lake by Wendy Wax (pb) 4****</li><li>Christmas at the Beach by Wendy Wax &nbsp;(kindle) 4****</li><li>Murderous Muffins by Lois Lavrisa (kindle) 2**</li><li>Aunt &nbsp;Dimity and the Summer King by Nancy Atherton &nbsp;(ccls/digital) 3***</li><li>Deadly Wedding by Robyn Bridges (kindle) 2**</li><li>Deadly Bridesmaids by Robyn Bridges&nbsp;(kindle) 2**</li><li>Deadly Vacation by Robyn Bridges (kindle) 2**</li><li>Murder at Zero Hour by Paul Westwood (nook) 2.5**</li><li>The Ghost Fields by Elly Griffiths&nbsp; (ccls) 4****</li><li>Death Pays a Visit by Elizabeth Spann &nbsp;Craig &nbsp;(kindle )</li><li>The Borrower by Rebecca Makkai &nbsp;(pb) 2**</li><li>The Point of Death: An Austin, Texas art mystery by Roslyn Woods (kindle) 3***</li><li>An Accidental Shroud: A Gil Mayo Mystery by Marjorie Eccles (kindle) 4****</li><li>Mistaken &nbsp;Identity by Lisa Scottoline &nbsp;(pb) 4****</li><li>A Lancaster Amish Storm by Mindy Starns Clark &nbsp;(nook) 2**&nbsp;</li><li>Lillies on Daybreak Pond &nbsp;By Mindy Starns Clark &nbsp;(nook) 2**</li><li>A Touch of Gold by Jim &amp; Joyce LaVerne (pb) 3***</li><li>Beach Town&nbsp;by Mary Kay Andrews (ccls/digital) 4****</li><li>Unspeakable by Sandra Brown (pb) 4****</li></ol><strong><br /></strong><strong>July</strong><br /><ol><li>All the Single Ladies/ Frank, Dorothea Benton&nbsp; (ccls/digital) 3.5***</li><li>Broken by Karin Slaughter (pb) 3***</li><li>Funerals are Fatal (After the Funeral) by Agatha Christie (hc) 3***</li><li>An&nbsp; Lancaster Anish&nbsp;Sketch Book by Ruth Price (kindle) 3***</li><li>Killer Wedding Cake by Gayle Trent (kindle) 4**** &nbsp;<strong><span style="color: red;">$.99 </span></strong></li><li><span style="color: black;">The Labors of Hercules by Agatha Christie (hc) 3***</span></li><li>Art of a Jewish Woman: True Story of How a Penniless Holocaust Escapee Became an Influential Modern Art&nbsp;Connoisseur by Henry N. Massie (kindle) 2**</li><li>Scoop by Kit Frazier&nbsp; 3.5***</li><li>Irresistible Impulse by Robert K. Tanenbaum (pb) 4****</li><li>Murder on Thames by Matthew Costello (Cherringham cozy bk 1)&nbsp;(kindle) 3.5***</li><li>Undue Influence by Steve Martini (pb) 4****</li><strong></strong><li>Killer Cupcakes by Jan Stevens (kindle) 2**</li><li>Glass House by Patrick Reinken (nook) 3***</li><li>Lancaster Amish Storm by Ruth Price (&nbsp;nook )&nbsp;<strong><span style="color: red;">$.99</span></strong></li><li><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;">(</span>The) Full Cup of Murder by Ruby Jones &nbsp;(kindle) 2**</span></li><li><span style="color: black;"></span>The Shadow of Death by Ruth Price &nbsp;(kindle ) 2**</li><li>Death of a Crafty Knitter by Angela Pepper (kindle) 3***</li><li>Felony Fruitcake by Linda Kozar (kindle) ( 47 pages) 2**</li><li>Murder at Claira's Coffee Shop by Jan Stevens (kindle) 2**</li><li>The Guest Cottage by Nancy Thayer (ccls) (kindle) 3.5***</li><li>Mistletoe and Murder by Lawrence Rotch (kindle) 4****</li><li>Double Tap by Steve Martini (pb) 4****<span style="color: black;"><strong><br /></strong></span></li></ol><strong>August</strong><br /><ol><li>Murder in Bermuda by Penelope Sotheby (kindle) 2**</li><li>Clambake Murder by Summer Prescott (kindle) 3.5***</li><li>Ruth's Story by Melanie Schmitt (kindle) 3***</li><li>The Kill by Allison Brennan (pb)&nbsp; 4****</li><li></li><li>Exit Stage Left by Adam Croft (nook)</li><li>The Ghostway by Tony Hillerman (pb)</li><li>The French Pastry Murder by Leslie Meier (ccls)</li><li>The Blood of an Englishman by M.C. Beaton (ccls/digital)</li><li>An Uncollected Death by Meg Wolfe (rare book hunt mystery 304 pg&nbsp; k14</li><li>The Murder Pit by&nbsp;Jeff Shelby<strong> </strong>(kindle) k15</li><li><span style="color: black;">We Never Lost Hope: A Holocaust Memoir by Naomi Litvin (kindle)</span></li><li><br /></li><li>Revolutionary Tax by Neil Sillars (Summer challenge)<strong> </strong>N11</li><li><br /></li></ol><strong><br /></strong> <strong>September</strong><br /><ol><li>Unburied Dead by Douglas Lindsay <strong>(Autumn challenge )</strong></li><li>After the Storm by Linda Castillo&nbsp; (ccls) <strong>On hold 5/25/15</strong></li><li>Watches of the Night by Sally Wright (kindle)</li><li>First There is a River by Kathy Steffen (kindle)</li><li>Waiter, There's a Clue in my Soup by Camille Laguire? </li><li>A Shiver at Twilight by Erica Quinn (kindle)</li><li>Diners, Dives and Deadends by Terri L. Austin (kindle) <strong><span style="color: red;">$.99</span></strong></li><li><span style="color: black;">Druids Daughter by Jean Hart Stewart (kindle)</span></li><li>No Sin in the House of Death by Tim M. Raymond (kindle)</li><li>In this Hospitable Land by Lynmar Brock<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp; Jr. (kindle) &nbsp;</span><b><span style="color: red;">$.87</span></b></li><li><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">A Plot to Die For by C.A. Larmer&nbsp;</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black;">&nbsp;(kindle) <span style="color: red;"><strong>$.99</strong></span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">Bubba and the Missing Woman by C.L Bevill (kindle)</span><b><span class="Apple-converted-space"><span style="color: red;">&nbsp;</span></span><span style="color: red;">$.99</span></b></span></li><li></li></ol><strong>October</strong><br /><ol><li><strong><br /></strong></li><strong> </strong><li>There Must be Murder by Margaret C. Sullivan<strong> (autumn challenge N11)</strong></li></ol><br /><br /><strong>November</strong><br /><ol><li>Patricia Davids Brides of Amish Country/An Amish Christmas/The Christmas Quilt/A Hope Springs Christmas by Patricia Davids 570 pgs</li><li>An Unlawful Order by Carver Green&nbsp;<strong> (autumn challenge k12)</strong></li><li>Murder at Zero Hour by Paul Westwood<strong>&nbsp; (autumn challenge k11)</strong></li></ol><strong>December</strong> <br /><ol><li>An Appalachian Christmas by Irene Brand (kindle) <strong><span style="color: red;">$.99</span></strong>&nbsp;(pt of Love Finds you under the Mistletoe)</li><li>A Marriage Carol by Chris Fabry,&nbsp;Gary Chapman (kindle)(Christmas story)</li><li>Not a Suspicious Death by Amanda Glen&nbsp;<strong> (</strong>kindle12<strong>) (autumn challenge )</strong></li><li>December Dread by Jess Louery (kindle)</li></ol><div></div><ol></ol><div></div><ol></ol><span style="color: red;"><br /></span><span style="color: red;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><br /><br /><span style="color: black;"></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><ol></ol><div></div><br /><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/245/67B844A459B8EF7893A6AC469D545CC0.png" style="background: none; border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor;" /></a>http://kayespenguinposts.blogspot.com/2015/01/read-in-2015.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kaye)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524582297249728998.post-2282095466723380471Sat, 27 Dec 2014 21:24:00 +00002015-05-24T20:41:51.162-04:00Author F-LHistorical fictionNetgalleyreviewReview: The Amber Keeper by Freda Lightfoot&nbsp; <br /><div class="readable stacked" id="description" style="border-image: none; right: 0px;"><a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1411597763l/22540145.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="22540145" border="0" height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1411597763l/22540145.jpg" width="212" /></a><br /><div style="border-image: none;"><div style="border-image: none;"><span id="freeTextContainer516968052269430292" style="display: none;">Set against the backdrop of revolutionary Russia, <em>The Amber Keeper</em> is a sweeping tale of jealousy and revenge, reconciliation and forgiveness.<br />English Lake District, 1960s: A young Abbie Myers returns home after learning of her mother’s death. Estranged from her turbulent family for many years, Abbie is heartbroken to hear that they blame her for the tragedy.<br />Determined to u</span>&nbsp;&nbsp; <span id="freeText516968052269430292"></span></div></div><div class="row"><span id="freeText516968052269430292"><span itemprop="bookFormatType">Paperback</span>, <span itemprop="numberOfPages">384 pages</span></span></div><span id="freeText516968052269430292"> </span> <br /><div class="row"><span id="freeText516968052269430292">Published December 1st 2014 by Lake Union Publishing </span></div><span id="freeText516968052269430292"> </span> <br /><div class="buttons"><span id="freeText516968052269430292"><a class="left inter actionLinkLite" href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22540145-the-amber-keeper?ac=1#" id="bookDataBoxShow" style="display: none;">more details...</a> </span><br /><div class="uitext" id="bookDataBox" style="margin: 10px 0px;"><div class="clearFloats"><div class="infoBoxRowTitle"><span id="freeText516968052269430292">ISBN: 1477826157 <span class="greyText">(ISBN13: <span itemprop="isbn">9781477826157</span>)</span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></div></div><div class="clearFloats"><div class="infoBoxRowTitle"></div><br /><div style="border-image: none;"><span id="freeText516968052269430292"> From Goodreads:<br /><em>Set against the backdrop of revolutionary Russia, The Amber Keeper is a sweeping tale of jealousy and revenge, reconciliation and forgiveness.</em><br /><em>English Lake District, 1960s: A young Abbie Myers returns home after learning of her mother’s death. Estranged from her turbulent family for many years, Abbie is heartbroken to hear that they blame her for the tragedy.</em><br /><em>Determined to uncover her mother’s past, Abbie approaches her beloved grandmother, Millie, in search of answers. As the old woman recounts her own past, Abbie is transported back to the grandeur of the Russian Empire in 1911 with tales of her grandmother’s life as a governess and the revolution that exploded around her.</em><br /><em>As Abbie struggles to reconcile with her family, and to support herself and her child, she realizes that those long-ago events created aftershocks that threaten to upset the fragile peace she longs to create.</em><br /><br /><strong>My thoughts:&nbsp;</strong>For some reason, Tsarist Russia has always fascinated me so I<strong> </strong>really liked this time frame and dual perspectives as told by Abbie in the 1960's and Millie in 1911.&nbsp;Ms. Lightfoot's&nbsp;excellent characterizations, sense of place and historical feel made this a wonderful read. </span></div><br />Although, I did like Millie' s story of her time in Russia &nbsp;a tad better than Abbie's, they were both very good. There were some characters you could love and hate which made for a good balance in the storyline. The family ties and old hurts were well done. I could actually&nbsp;empathize with the characters. Along with Millie's past story and Amber's present day story, there was a plot line fraught with mystery and danger. It all came together with a fine cohesiveness. My attention never wavered and I even learned something about amber along the way. 4****<br /><br />Ms. Lightfoot is the author of numerous historical fiction books and is a Goodreads author. She can be found on her<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/448774.Freda_Lightfoot"> page</a> at Goodreads.</div><div class="readable stacked" style="right: 0px;"><br /></div><div class="uitext stacked darkGreyText" id="details"><div class="row"></div></div><div style="border-image: none;">Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Lake Union Publishing/Netgalley&nbsp;in exchange for my honest opinion. </div><div class="separator" style="border-image: none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/245/67B844A459B8EF7893A6AC469D545CC0.png" style="background: none; border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor;" /></a></div></div></div></div>http://kayespenguinposts.blogspot.com/2014/12/review-amber-keeper-by-freda-lightfoot.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kaye)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524582297249728998.post-5496315439628069205Sat, 06 Dec 2014 16:00:00 +00002014-12-22T13:38:37.854-05:00Review: Farewell to Cedar Key by Terri DuLong<div style="border-image: none;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1416426145l/20949531.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="20949531" border="0" height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1416426145l/20949531.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>From Goodreads<span style="color: #555555; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 18px;">: "</span><em style="color: #555555; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 18px;"><br /><br />Josie Sullivan adores her Cedar Key home. It's been the ideal place to raise her daughter, Orli, who's just turning sixteen. Now that Josie has realized her dream of becoming a registered nurse, she's been offered the perfect job too--helping Dr. Simon Mancini run his new practice.</em><br /><em><br />Until the clinic opens, Josie is filling in at Yarning Together, where she launches a series of knitting classes for men. Yet for all the vibrant changes, there are some tangled threads. Josie's romance-author mother, Shelby, receives a worrying diagnosis. And though Josie has always guarded her independence, her connection to Orli's father, Grant, seems to be rekindling. Most of all, as Shelby's college classmates rally around their dear friend, Josie begins to see that "home" is more than a place;it's the relationships woven into each life, strand by strand"</em><br /><strong>My thoughts</strong><em>: </em>I have yet to read a Terri DuLong book that I didn't like. All her characters &nbsp;in the Cedar Key series are wonderful. Right away they &nbsp;become like dear friends. It is so easy to get caught up in their day to day lives and living through all their heartaches and joys right along with them.&nbsp; I love the realistic dialogue also. <br /><br />Even though these Stories are fiction, there is always a theme or an issue that needs to be dealt with. In Farewell to Cedar Key, the theme/issue is one of the main characters, Shelby, has been diagnosed with uterine cancer. At first she tried to ignore her "twinges" but after some dedicated nagging by her daughter she finally sought some help.<br /><br />&nbsp; Having gone through the same experience myself, I can testify that Ms. DuLong handled this perfectly; the initial fear, coming to grips with the diagnosis and the aftermath of treatment. All her characters support each other at every turn.<br /><br />Although this is the last book in the series, I am confident Ms. DuLong's next book/series will be just as wonderful as Cedar Key has been. Any books in the series can be read as a stand-alone but I would suggest reading from the beginning as they are all wonderfully entertaining and heart felt.<br /><br />Terri DuLong is a Goodreads author and can be found on her<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1359910.Terri_DuLong"> page</a>, on her <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TerriDuLongAuthor"> Facebook</a> page or on her <a href="http://www.terridulong.com/">website</a>.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/245/67B844A459B8EF7893A6AC469D545CC0.png" style="background: none; border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor;" /></a><br /><br />Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by the author, Terri DuLong&nbsp; in exchange for my honest opinion.</div>http://kayespenguinposts.blogspot.com/2014/12/review-farewell-to-cedar-key-by-terri.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kaye)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524582297249728998.post-195605925504858465Fri, 14 Nov 2014 17:00:00 +00002015-04-12T11:29:08.990-04:00Author M-SCozy MysteryreviewThe Seventh Link: An English Village Cosy Featuring the Colonel by Margaret Mayhew<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JeleiWupToY/VBAhZ_ybqpI/AAAAAAAAHYA/PHWL151ouC0/s1600/20959182.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JeleiWupToY/VBAhZ_ybqpI/AAAAAAAAHYA/PHWL151ouC0/s1600/20959182.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a><br /><br /><br />From Goodreads:<br /><span id="freeText9836870786498590889"><em>"The village of Frog End may be peaceful, but that doesn't mean that the Colonel s life there is quiet not with his friendly but nosy neighbour Naomi, desperate to know what he s keeping in his new shed; the curious Miss Butler, who tracks his every move with her German U-boat captain s binoculars; and the attentions of the local vicar, who s keen to involve him in church affairs. That s not forgetting the demands of the aloof, imperious cat Thursday, who seems to have adopted the Colonel.So the Colonel is pleased when his old friend Geoffrey Cheetham invites him up to the village of Buckby for the weekend, to coincide with a RAF reunion event. After depositing an outraged Thursday at the Cat Heaven cattery, he drives up, and meets his fellow guests at the Cheethams B&amp;B: including a Lancaster bomber crew, reunited for the first time. But everything is not as it seems, and the Colonel finds himself taking on the reluctant role of sleuth once more when tragedy strikes . . ."</em></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br /><br /><strong><em>The Seventh Link, </em></strong>part of the Village Mystery Series<em><strong>,</strong>&nbsp;</em>is a fun little British&nbsp;mystery. I loved the village setting and the wonderful characters of&nbsp; the Colonel, his neighbor Naomi and the ever so comical Miss Butler. Mayhew did a great job with these characters bringing out all their quirks and personalities.<br /><br />While attending a reunion for his old RAF Bomber Command group, the Colonel and his old pals experience a tragedy. One of their own has passed away in somewhat unusual circumstances. The mystery of how Don Wilson died is a tad ambiguous. Did he drown by accident due to his drunkenness or was he helped along the way?<br /><br />Even though I found the book to be a little short with no resolution, I still enjoyed it. The historical references to the&nbsp;Bomber Command&nbsp;was interesting, albeit sometimes overshadowing the "mystery".<br /><br />Margaret Mayhew, a Goodreads author can be found on her page <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/93293.Margaret_Mayhew">here</a>. Mayhew is a prolific author who can also be found on her web page at <a href="http://www.severnhouse.com/author/Margaret+Mayhew/9459">Severn House.</a><br /><br /><div style="border-image: none;">Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Severn House Publishers/Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. </div><div class="separator" style="border-image: none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/245/67B844A459B8EF7893A6AC469D545CC0.png" style="background: none; border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor;" /></a></div>http://kayespenguinposts.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-seventh-link-english-village-cosy.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kaye)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524582297249728998.post-404411073156454437Sun, 09 Nov 2014 21:02:00 +00002015-02-11T20:44:58.685-05:00Author M-SCozy MysteryNetgalleyreviewReview: The Red Book of Primrose House: A Potting Shed Mystery by Marty Wingate<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DIG69-Ar50w/VBAhRGkj-NI/AAAAAAAAHX4/0BAhlxSbo5s/s1600/22747311.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DIG69-Ar50w/VBAhRGkj-NI/AAAAAAAAHX4/0BAhlxSbo5s/s1600/22747311.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div><br /><br />From Goodreads:<br /><br /><br /><span id="freeText3010333664995545467"><em><strong>In Marty Wingate’s charming new Potting Shed Mystery, Texas transplant Pru Parke’s restoration of a historic landscape in England is uprooted by an ax murderer.</strong><br /><br />Pru Parke has her dream job: head gardener at an eighteenth-century manor house in Sussex. The landscape for Primrose House was laid out in 1806 by renowned designer Humphry Repton in one of his meticulously illustrated Red Books, and the new owners want Pru to restore the estate to its former glory—quickly, as they’re planning to showcase it in less than a year at a summer party.<br /><br />But life gets in the way of the best laid plans: When not being happily distracted by the romantic attentions of the handsome Inspector Christopher Pearse, Pru is digging into the mystery of her own British roots. Still, she manages to make considerable progress on the vast grounds—until vandals wreak havoc on each of her projects. Then, to her horror, one of her workers is found murdered among the yews. The police have a suspect, but Pru is certain they’re wrong. Once again, Pru finds herself entangled in a thicket of evil intentions—and her, without a hatchet.</em></span><br /><em><br /></em><br /><b>The Red Book of Primrose House</b> was a little&nbsp;slow starting but I&nbsp;loved the&nbsp;Sussex garden setting. <br />The plot had a little more romance and a tad&nbsp;less mystery&nbsp;than I would have liked but some quirky&nbsp;and fun characters still made this one a pleasurable read. There were just enough motives to keep this reader guessing right up until the end.<br /><br />I had never heard about the&nbsp; Victorian garden designer Humphrey Repton but I found this part of the book interesting.<br /><em></em><br />Marty Wingate, a master gardener as well as an author, can be found on her Goodreads&nbsp; <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/453259.Marty_Wingate">author page</a>&nbsp;and on her&nbsp;web<a href="http://www.martywingate.com/bios/marty-wingate"> page</a>.<br /><em></em><br />Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Random House/Netgally in exchange for my honest opinion. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/245/67B844A459B8EF7893A6AC469D545CC0.png" style="background: none; border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor;" /></a></div><div style="border-image: none;"></div><div style="border-image: none;"></div>http://kayespenguinposts.blogspot.com/2014/11/review-red-book-of-primrose-house.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kaye)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524582297249728998.post-6344021204944285468Sat, 01 Nov 2014 17:00:00 +00002014-11-01T13:00:03.971-04:00Review: Sleep in Peace Tonight by James MacManus<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v_OdoF1vOpY/VFJ-Y1-zZxI/AAAAAAAAHZQ/LNPuUJLYNu0/s1600/20613758.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v_OdoF1vOpY/VFJ-Y1-zZxI/AAAAAAAAHZQ/LNPuUJLYNu0/s1600/20613758.jpg" height="320" width="210" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div class="row"><span itemprop="bookFormatType">ebook</span>, <span itemprop="numberOfPages">368 pages</span></div><div class="row">Published October 7th 2014 by Thomas Dunne Books </div><div class="buttons"><a class="left inter actionLinkLite" href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20944674-sleep-in-peace-tonight#" id="bookDataBoxShow" style="display: none;">more details...</a> <br /><div class="uitext" id="bookDataBox" style="margin: 10px 0px;"><div class="clearFloats"><div class="infoBoxRowTitle">ISBN: 1466852925 <span class="greyText">(ISBN13: <span itemprop="isbn">9781466852921</span>)</span></div></div></div></div><br /><strong><em>Sleep in Peace Tonight</em></strong> is a fictionalized account of events during WWII, particularly during the Blitz in London in 1941.<br /><br />Harry Hopkins, unofficial representative for FDR, travels to Britain to meet with Churchill. Things are&nbsp;not going well for Britain and Churchill tries to get Hopkins to convince FDR of the need for the USA to enter the war. Without&nbsp;assistance from the USA, Churchill is convinced Britain will be on the losing end. He feels that Hitler must be stopped by any and all means. Edward R. Murrow, war correspondent based in London during the Blitz, is also a prominent character. <br /><br />This story is more than just an historical narrative. Readers&nbsp;get to see the other more human and&nbsp;occasionally scandalous sides of Churchill, FDR and Harry Hopkins.<br /><br /><em>"It was said that everyone fell in love in London during the bombing; it was only natural. It wasn't love , of course; it was just frightened people clinging to each other in blacked-out hotel rooms, on creaking beds, while the shrapnel rattled on the roof and the windows blew in. They called it love because it sounded better, because love somehow justified their betrayal, and they were both traitors, weren't they? Perhaps a few lonely, frightened souls had truly fallen for each other in those long nights."</em><br /><br /><br />McManus evokes a wonderful sense of place, a genuine feel of the times and the mood of the populace during the Blitz on London during WWII.<br /><br />I really enjoyed the story, both the historical parts and the "love story" within.&nbsp;4****<br /><br />James MacManus is the&nbsp;managing director of the&nbsp;Times Literary Supplement. &nbsp;He can be found on his<a href="http://www.jamesmacmanus.com/index.asp"> website</a>&nbsp;and also on his Goodreads <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1250590.James_MacManus">page</a>.<br /><br />Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by St. Martin's Press/Thomas Dunne/Netgalley&nbsp; in exchange for my honest opinion. <br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/245/67B844A459B8EF7893A6AC469D545CC0.png" style="background: none; border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor;" /></a><br /><br />http://kayespenguinposts.blogspot.com/2014/11/review-sleep-in-peace-tonight-by-james.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kaye)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524582297249728998.post-1448573947692313216Sat, 04 Oct 2014 17:08:00 +00002014-10-04T14:43:00.383-04:00Author M-SNetgalleyreview policyReview: The Ship of Brides by JoJo Moyes<div class="row"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GusHlXp7HBg/VBAhFtiRUqI/AAAAAAAAHXw/Wch3j8kEVwY/s1600/1373381.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GusHlXp7HBg/VBAhFtiRUqI/AAAAAAAAHXw/Wch3j8kEVwY/s1600/1373381.jpg" height="320" width="209" /></a><span itemprop="bookFormatType"></span><br /><span itemprop="bookFormatType"><span itemprop="bookFormatType"><br /></span></span> <span itemprop="bookFormatType"><span itemprop="bookFormatType"><br /></span></span> <span itemprop="bookFormatType">Kindle Edition</span></div><div class="row">Published May 27th 2014 by Penguin Books <nobr class="greyText"> (first published 2005) </nobr> </div><div class="buttons"><a class="left inter actionLinkLite" href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20510869-the-ship-of-brides#" id="bookDataBoxShow" style="display: none;">more details...</a> <br /><div class="uitext" id="bookDataBox" style="margin: 10px 0px;"><div class="clearFloats"><div class="infoBoxRowTitle">original title: The Ship of Brides</div></div><div class="clearFloats"><div class="infoBoxRowTitle">ASIN:B00HDMMC7M</div></div><div class="clearFloats"><div class="infoBoxRowTitle">edition language: English</div></div></div></div>From Goodreads:<br /><br /><em>1946. World War II has ended and all over the world, young women are beginning to fulfill the promises made to the men they wed in wartime.<br /><br />In Sydney, Australia, four women join 650 other war brides on an extraordinary voyage to England—aboard HMS Victoria, which still carries not just arms and aircraft but a thousand naval officers. Rules are strictly enforced, from the aircraft carrier’s captain down to the lowliest young deckhand. But the men and the brides will find their lives intertwined despite the Navy’s ironclad sanctions. And for Frances Mackenzie, the complicated young woman whose past comes back to haunt her far from home, the journey will change her life in ways she never could have predicted—forever.&nbsp;</em><br /><em><br /></em><br />Never having read anything by JoJo Moyes, before, I wasn't too sure what to expect but since the book was set post WWII, I definitely was curious. I'm now a new fan of Moyes!<br /><br />Many&nbsp;Australian women&nbsp;married British servicemen during WWII. Moyes obviously did a lot of research on the subject and pens a fictionalized account of some of these women. &nbsp;It's now&nbsp;1946, the war is over and the "brides" are headed to their new country.&nbsp;The story is&nbsp;concentrated around four very diverse women who have to bunk together during the trip.&nbsp;&nbsp;During the&nbsp;seven week voyage, tempers will flare, dreams will come true for some and shattered for others. Pasts will come to haunt some while others will move smoothly into their new lives without a qualm.<br /><br />I loved it! The characters&nbsp;held my attention every minute; I just could not seem to put it down. During the six years I've written this blog, very few books have earned a 5* rating but this one did, hands down. Did I mention that I loved it?? I loved it!<br /><br />JoJo Moyes is also the author of numerous novels. She can be found at <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/281810.Jojo_Moyes">Goodreads</a>, and on her <a href="http://www.jojomoyes.com/">web page</a>.. <br /><br /><div class="uitext stacked darkGreyText" id="details"><div class="row"></div></div><strong>Disclosure:</strong> A review copy of the book was provided by Penguin Books/Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion<br />. <br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/245/67B844A459B8EF7893A6AC469D545CC0.png" style="background: none; border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor;" /></a>http://kayespenguinposts.blogspot.com/2014/10/review-ship-of-brides-by-jojo-moyes.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kaye)10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524582297249728998.post-273653506432953416Sat, 27 Sep 2014 16:50:00 +00002014-09-28T12:25:40.220-04:00Author F-LHistorical fictionNetgalleyreviewWorld War IIReview: The Other Girl by Pam Jenoff<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KuLmTAAvZPs/VBAgdzTEUII/AAAAAAAAHXo/90t3ysg68M0/s1600/22448543.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KuLmTAAvZPs/VBAgdzTEUII/AAAAAAAAHXo/90t3ysg68M0/s1600/22448543.jpg" height="320" width="202" /></a><br /><br /><div class="row"><span itemprop="bookFormatType">Kindle Edition</span></div><div class="row">Expected publication: September 1st 2014 by Harlequin MIRA </div><div class="row"><br /></div><div class="row">From Goodreads:</div><div class="row"><br /></div><span id="freeText11438608225455224969"><strong><em>One woman's determination to protect a child from the dangers of war will force her to face those lurking closer to home…</em></strong><br /><br /><em>Life in rural Poland during WWII brings a new set of challenges to Maria, estranged from her own family and left alone with her in-laws after her husband is sent to the front. For a young, newly pregnant wife, the days are especially cold, the nights unexpectedly lonely. The discovery of a girl hiding in the barn changes everything—Hannah is fleeing the German police who are taking Jews like her to special camps. Ignoring the risk to her own life and that of her unborn child, Maria is compelled to help. But in these dark days, no one can be trusted, and soon Maria finds her courage tested in ways she never expected and herself facing truths about her own family that the quiet village has kept buried for years…</em></span><br /><em><br /></em> The Other Girl is comprised of just 24 pages but this novella is still a good introduction to the <br />&nbsp;likeable characters and the feel of the story set against the backdrop of WWII. I greatly admired Maria and felt so sad for Hannah as they are both just trying to live their lives as normally as possible. Of course, during wartime, this is not always doable. <br /><br /><br />Even in such limited pages, Jenoff did a wonderful job with the main character of Maria. I could really feel her indecision,&nbsp;fear and determination. This novella is a companion story to Jenoff's &nbsp;<em>The Winter Guest. 3***</em><br /><em><br /></em><br /><em>Pam Jenoff is the author of numerous historical novels. She can be found on her <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/213562.Pam_Jenoff">Goodreads page</a>.</em><br /><em><br /></em><br /><div class="uitext stacked darkGreyText" id="details"><div class="row"></div></div>Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Harlequin MIRA/Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. <br /><br /><div style="border-image: none;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/245/67B844A459B8EF7893A6AC469D545CC0.png" style="background: none; border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor;" /><br /><br />&nbsp;</a></div>http://kayespenguinposts.blogspot.com/2014/09/review-other-girl-by-pam-jenoff.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kaye)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524582297249728998.post-2292625714192570897Fri, 19 Sep 2014 14:26:00 +00002014-09-19T10:26:47.929-04:00Author M-SNetgalleyreviewWorld War IIReview: The Garden of Letters by Alyson Richman<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ueFtZaGBiJc/VBAgO4Pte0I/AAAAAAAAHXg/KtifLUZpK-s/s1600/20821285.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ueFtZaGBiJc/VBAgO4Pte0I/AAAAAAAAHXg/KtifLUZpK-s/s1600/20821285.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br /><div class="uitext stacked darkGreyText" id="details"><div class="row"><span itemprop="bookFormatType">Paperback</span>, <span itemprop="numberOfPages">384 pages</span></div><div class="row">Expected publication: September 2nd 2014 by Berkley Trade </div><div class="buttons"><a class="left inter actionLinkLite" href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20821285-the-garden-of-letters?ac=1#" id="bookDataBoxShow" style="display: none;">more details...</a> <br /><div class="uitext" id="bookDataBox" style="margin: 10px 0px;"><div class="clearFloats"><div class="infoBoxRowTitle">ISBN:0425266257 <span class="greyText">(ISBN13: <span itemprop="isbn">9780425266250</span>)</span> </div></div><br />From Goodreads:<br /><br /><br /><em><strong>Set against the rich backdrop of World War II Italy,&nbsp;Garden of Letters&nbsp;captures the hope, suspense, and romance of an uncertain era, in an epic intertwining story of first love, great tragedy, and spectacular bravery.</strong>Portofino, Italy, 1943.&nbsp;A young woman steps off a boat in a scenic coastal village. Although she knows how to disappear in a crowd,&nbsp;Elodie&nbsp;is too terrified to slip by the German officers while carrying her poorly forged identity papers. She is frozen until a man she’s never met before claims to know her. In desperate need of shelter, Elodie follows him back to his home on the cliffs of Portofino.<br /><br />Only months before, Elodie Bertolotti was a cello prodigy in Verona, unconcerned with world events. But when Mussolini’s Fascist regime strikes her family, Elodie is drawn into the burgeoning resistance movement by Luca, a young and impassioned bookseller. As the occupation looms, she discovers that her unique musical talents, and her courage, have the power to save lives.<br /><br />In Portofino, young doctor Angelo Rosselli gives the frightened and exhausted girl sanctuary. He is a man with painful secrets of his own, haunted by guilt and remorse. But Elodie’s arrival has the power to awaken a sense of hope and joy that Angelo thought was lost to him forever.</em><br /><em> </em><br />Any book with WWII as the backdrop usually merits a look from me, but Richman is particularly deft with this scenario. All the horrors of wartime and the difficulty of living are so well done, it is as if I were right there along with the characters.<br /><br />In this story, Elodie, our heroine, is a young and very talented violinist just coming of&nbsp;age in the most difficult of circumstances. Seeing her homeland invaded and her way of life abruptly changed, Elodie does what she must in order to live with her conscience and try to help the resistance. Falling in love was not part of her plan but it just happened and Elodie finds herself having to make some very difficult choices and then dealing with those choices,<br /><br />"<em> Elodie wonders, if beneath the schoolgirl uniform, her mother can see the change in her. That her daughter has discovered that it isn't only music that can articulate the beauty and mystery of the world. That now she knows that the heart has it's own rhythm and breath has it's own pulse, and there is nothing in this world that makes you feel more alive than a simple touch of a beloved's hand."</em><br /><br />In <strong><em>The Garden of Letters</em></strong>, Alyson Richman pens her usual beautiful, lyrical writing; words to be savored right along with the plot. All of Richman's characters come to life vividly on the page, so much so, that my heart was fully engaged along with my mind. <br /><br />Alyson Richman is also the author of&nbsp; <strong><em>The&nbsp;Lost Wife</em></strong>, one of my all time favorite&nbsp;reads.&nbsp; 4****<br /><br /><br /><div style="border-image: none;">Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Berkley Trade/Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. </div><div style="border-image: none;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="border-image: none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/245/67B844A459B8EF7893A6AC469D545CC0.png" style="background: none; border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor;" /></a></div></div></div></div>http://kayespenguinposts.blogspot.com/2014/09/review-garden-of-letters-by-alyson.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kaye)7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524582297249728998.post-2148420747518827959Tue, 26 Aug 2014 12:54:00 +00002014-08-26T08:54:46.534-04:00Review: The Homecoming by Robyn Carr<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z1NudObhS9g/U-t8z11zuLI/AAAAAAAAHWY/QmmX8YJGLns/s1600/18591464.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z1NudObhS9g/U-t8z11zuLI/AAAAAAAAHWY/QmmX8YJGLns/s1600/18591464.jpg" height="320" width="202" /></a><br /><br />Mass Market Paperback, 400 pages<br />Expected publication: August 26th 2014 by Harlequin MIRA <br />ISBN:0778316440 (ISBN13: 9780778316442) <br />edition language:English <br />series: Thunder Point #6 <br /><br /><br /><br />From Goodreads:<br /><br />"<i>In a small town, reputation is everything. In her latest novel, #1 New York Times bestselling author Robyn Carr explores the burden placed on a young man returning home to face his mistakes—the first step in claiming the life he was meant to live ... <br /><br />At the age of nineteen, Seth Sileski had everything. A superb athlete and scholar, handsome and popular, he was the pride of Thunder Point. Destined for greatness, he lost it all in a terrible accident that put an end to his professional football career when it had barely begun. The people in his hometown have never forgotten what might have been. <br /><br />Seth has come to terms with the turns his life has taken. But now he's been presented with an opportunity to return home and show his father—and the people of Thunder Point—he's become a better, humbler version of his former self. <br /><br />Winning over his father isn't the only challenge. Seth must also find a way to convince his childhood neighbor and best friend, Iris McKinley, to forgive him for breaking her heart. With his homecoming, will Seth be able to convince the town, his family and especially Iris that he's finally ready to be the man who will make them all proud?"</i><br /><em><br /></em><br />If you've never read any of Robyn Carr's books before, you are missing out. Carr is one of my favorite go-to authors of romance and family stories. Any time I pick up one of her books, I am assured of a very delightful read with wonderful easy to relate to characters and most likely a HEA ending. Not to say there aren't some bumps along the way, because there are but that is a huge part of the storyline. I love the way Carr resolves the issues in the plot. <br /><br />If you are a fan of Carr's Virgin River series, you are sure to love the Thunderpoint series. I've read every one so far and really liked them all, but this one, <strong><em>The Homecoming</em></strong>, seemed <strong>extra special</strong>. I had a hard time putting it down. Sooooo good! 4.5****<br /><br />Robyn Carr can be found on her <a href="http://www.robyncarr.com/">website</a>, and on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/107767.Robyn_Carr"> Goodreads</a>. <br /><div style="border-image: none;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/245/67B844A459B8EF7893A6AC469D545CC0.png" style="background: none; border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor;" /></a>Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Harlequin Mira/Netgalley&nbsp; in exchange for my honest opinion.</div>http://kayespenguinposts.blogspot.com/2014/08/review-homecoming-by-robyn-carr.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kaye)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524582297249728998.post-3835633296776732020Wed, 13 Aug 2014 18:34:00 +00002014-08-14T06:01:42.054-04:00Review: The Tea Shop on Lavender Lane by Sheila Roberts<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1_gwpWZIVog/U8_wa04AwHI/AAAAAAAAHWI/Te6rPiSW2sI/s1600/18721574.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1_gwpWZIVog/U8_wa04AwHI/AAAAAAAAHWI/Te6rPiSW2sI/s1600/18721574.jpg" height="200" width="126" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div class="row"><span itemprop="bookFormatType">Mass Market Paperback</span>, <span itemprop="numberOfPages">400 pages</span></div><div class="row">Published June 24th 2014 by Harlequin MIRA </div><div class="buttons"><a class="left inter actionLinkLite" href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18721574-the-tea-shop-on-lavender-lane?ac=1#" id="bookDataBoxShow" style="display: none;">more details...</a> <br /><div class="uitext" id="bookDataBox" style="margin: 10px 0px;"><div class="clearFloats"><div class="infoBoxRowTitle">ISBN: 0778316181 <span class="greyText">(ISBN13: <span itemprop="isbn">9780778316183</span>)</span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </div></div><div class="clearFloats"><div class="infoBoxRowTitle">edition language: English</div></div><div class="clearFloats"><div class="infoBoxRowTitle">series: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/90168-life-in-icicle-falls">Life in Icicle Falls #5</a> </div></div></div></div><br />From Goodreads:<br /><br /><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31px;">"After a fake food poisoning incident in L.A., Bailey Sterling's dreams of becoming a caterer to the stars collapse faster than a soufflé. Now Bailey's face is in all the gossip rags and her business is in ruins. But the Sterling women close ranks and bring her back to Icicle Falls, where she'll stay with her sister Cecily.&nbsp;</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31px;">All goes well between the sisters until Bailey comes up with a new business idea—a tea shop on a charming street called Lavender Lane. She's going into partnership with Todd Black, who—it turns out—is the man Cecily's started dating. It looks to Cecily as if there's more than tea brewing in that cute little shop. And she's not pleased.&nbsp;</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31px;">Wait! Isn't Cecily seeing Luke Goodman? He's a widower with an adorable little girl, and yes, Cecily does care about him. But Todd's the one who sends her zing-o-meter off the charts. So now what? Should you have to choose between your sister and the man you love (or think you love)?"</span></i><br /><em><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia;"><br /></span></em><br /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia;">I've yet to read a Sheila Roberts book that I didn't like. All her stories are filled with fully fleshed-out characters&nbsp; who become your friends by the end of the story. The little town of Icicle Falls will be a town you want to move to. Yes, it is that magical! I wish my town had a tea&nbsp;shop like this one. Just reading the description of all the luscious treats made me hungry. </span><br /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia;"><br /></span><br /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia;">The women and the men in Icicle Falls are usually strong characters, faithful friends and family oriented. This is one of the reasons I like them so much. </span><br /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia;"><br /></span><br /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia;">Are the stories sometime light-hearted easy reading and&nbsp;the romances&nbsp;a tad predictable? Sure they are. But, that does not detract from the fact that they are fun and highly enjoyable!</span><br /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia;"><br /></span><br /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia;">For fans of romance, small town living, family, especially sisters,</span>&nbsp;and a little humor, try any Sheila Roberts book, you'll be happy you did. 4****<br /><br />Sheila Roberts can be found on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/529302.Sheila_Roberts">Goodreads</a>, her <a href="http://www.sheilasplace.com/">website</a> and on FB<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Sheila.roberts.writer?fref=ts"> page</a>.<br /><br />Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Harlequin/NetGalley&nbsp; in exchange for my honest opinion. <br /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia;"> </span><br /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia;"> </span><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><br /><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/245/67B844A459B8EF7893A6AC469D545CC0.png" style="background: none; border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor;" /></a><br /><div style="border-image: none;"><br />&nbsp;</div>http://kayespenguinposts.blogspot.com/2014/08/review-tea-shop-on-lavender-lane-by.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kaye)9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524582297249728998.post-6348456382961332326Fri, 25 Jul 2014 17:00:00 +00002014-08-14T05:54:31.546-04:00Author F-LRomanceWorld War IIReview: The Major's Daughter: A Novel by J.P. Francis<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5NIq_Ou27U4/U8_vgCNkL6I/AAAAAAAAHWA/LTK_4apm6l0/s1600/18667981the+major's+daughter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5NIq_Ou27U4/U8_vgCNkL6I/AAAAAAAAHWA/LTK_4apm6l0/s1600/18667981the+major's+daughter.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="row" style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 18px;"><span itemprop="bookFormatType">Paperback</span>,&nbsp;<span itemprop="numberOfPages">400 pages</span></div><div class="row" style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 18px;">Expected publication: July 29th 2014 by Plume</div><div class="buttons" style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 18px;"><div class="uitext" id="bookDataBox" style="margin: 10px 0px;"><div class="clearFloats"><div class="infoBoxRowTitle" style="color: #382110; float: left; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0px; width: 113.75px;">ISBN</div><div class="infoBoxRowItem" style="float: left; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0px; width: 341.25px;">0452298695&nbsp;<span class="greyText" style="color: #aaaaaa;">(ISBN13:&nbsp;<span itemprop="isbn">9780452298699</span>)</span></div></div></div></div><br /><br /><br /><br />From Goodreads:<br /><i><br />"April, 1944. The quiet rural village of Stark, New Hampshire is irrevocably changed by the arrival of 150 German prisoners of war. And one family, unexpectedly divided, must choose between love and country.<br /><br />Camp Stark is under the command of Major John Brennan, whose beautiful daughter, Collie, will serve as translator. Educated at Smith and devoted to her widowed father, Collie is immediately drawn to Private August Wahrlich, a peaceful poet jaded by war. As international conflict looms on the home front, their passion blinds them to the inevitable dangers ahead.<br /><br />Inspired by the little-known existence of a real World War II POW camp, The Major’s Daughter is a fresh take on the timeless theme of forbidden love."<br /></i><br /><br /><br /><strong>My Thoughts:</strong> Even though I lived in New England for over 50 years, I had never heard of any POW camps in the area. I thought this was an extremely interesting fact for the basis of a novel. <br /><br /><br />The story held my attention at all times even though I'm not too sure how credible it would be for a prisoner-of-war to be allowed the chance to meet the Major's daughter. Although, that was a minor concern because the story line was well done. All the characters were well fleshed out and I thought the dialogue was very realistic. Actually, the story of Collie's friend who also fell in love with someone her family deemed not "socially acceptable" was on a par with Collie's own story. Besides being a love story, it also was a social commentary of the times. <br /><br /><br />Overall, I enjoyed the&nbsp;book a lot. 4****<br /><br /><br />Recommended for fans of romance, historical&nbsp;and&nbsp;WWII fiction.<br /><br /><i><br /></i><br /><br /><div style="border-image: none;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/245/67B844A459B8EF7893A6AC469D545CC0.png" style="background: none; border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor;" /></a>Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Plume/NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.</div>http://kayespenguinposts.blogspot.com/2014/07/review-majors-daughter-novel-by-jp.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kaye)6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524582297249728998.post-5187961395737942966Fri, 11 Jul 2014 13:30:00 +00002014-07-12T07:31:53.842-04:00Review & Giveaway: The House on Mermaid Point by Wendy Wax<br /><br /><div class="row"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v9nqn2jPxNo/U3syZyLYaOI/AAAAAAAAHUc/bMqOd4iSKY8/s1600/18693846mermaid+point.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v9nqn2jPxNo/U3syZyLYaOI/AAAAAAAAHUc/bMqOd4iSKY8/s1600/18693846mermaid+point.jpg" height="320" width="204" /></a><span itemprop="bookFormatType"></span><br /><span itemprop="bookFormatType"><span itemprop="bookFormatType"><br /></span></span> <span itemprop="bookFormatType"><span itemprop="bookFormatType"><br /></span></span> <span itemprop="bookFormatType">Paperback</span>, <span itemprop="numberOfPages">416 pages</span></div><div class="row">Expected publication: July 1st 2014 by Berkley Trade </div><div class="buttons"><a class="left inter actionLinkLite" href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18693846-the-house-on-mermaid-point?from_search=true#" id="bookDataBoxShow" style="display: none;">more details...</a> <br /><div class="uitext" id="bookDataBox" style="margin: 10px 0px;"><div class="clearFloats"><div class="infoBoxRowTitle">ISBN:0425263320 <span class="greyText">(ISBN13: <span itemprop="isbn">9780425263327</span>)</span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </div></div><div class="clearFloats"><div class="infoBoxRowTitle">edition language: English<br /><br /></div><div class="infoBoxRowTitle"><br /></div><div class="infoBoxRowTitle"><strong>From Goodreads:</strong></div></div></div></div><span id="freeText7485744149181627440"><em><strong>In this new novel from the author of Ten Beach Road and Ocean Beach, three unlikely friends who were thrown together by disaster get a do-over on life, love, and happiness . . .</strong><br /><br />Maddie, Avery, and Nikki first got to know one another—perhaps all too well—while desperately restoring a beachfront mansion to its former grandeur. Now they’re putting that experience to professional use. But their latest project has presented some challenges they couldn’t have dreamed up in their wildest fantasies—although the house does belong to a man who actually was Maddie’s wildest fantasy once . . .<br /><br />Rock-and-roll legend “William the Wild” Hightower may be past his prime, estranged from his family, and creatively blocked, but he’s still worshiped by fans—which is why he guards his privacy on his own island in the Florida Keys. He’s not thrilled about letting this crew turn his piece of paradise into a bed-and-breakfast for a reality show . . . though he is intrigued by Maddie. Hard as that is for her to believe as a newly single woman who can barely manage a dog paddle in the dating pool.<br /><br />But whether it’s an unexpected flirtation with a bona fide rock star, a strained mother-daughter relationship, or a sudden tragedy, these women are in it together. The only thing that might drive them apart is being trapped on a houseboat with one bathroom . .</em></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br /><br /><div class="uitext stacked darkGreyText" id="details"><div class="row"><br /><strong>My thoughts</strong>: I've read the two previous books, <strong><em>Ten Beach Road</em></strong> and <strong><em>Ocean Beach</em></strong>,&nbsp;with these characters and loved them. Reading <strong><em>The House on Mermaid Point</em></strong> was like visiting with old friends after too long an absence. So much fun to catch up with the ladies and see what new antics they are up to with their latest adventure! Wax is so adept at creating a sense of place. I could feel the heat from the Florida sun and sense the calm of the surroundings. With some changes made in character status, already&nbsp;I can't wait for the next book in the series.<br /><br />Highly recommended for fans of contemporary fiction and&nbsp;women's stories. 4****<br /><br />Wendy Wax can be found on her<a href="http://authorwendywax.com/"> website</a>, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/163926.Wendy_Wax">Goodreads</a>&nbsp;and on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AuthorWendyWax">Facebook</a>.<br /><br />Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by in exchange for my honest opinion. <br /><br />Now for the fabulous news; through the generosity of Berkley, one giveaway copy of the book is available&nbsp;&nbsp;to US residents. <span style="background-color: yellow;">Just leave a comment saying</span>&nbsp; <span style="background-color: yellow;">WHY</span> <span style="background-color: yellow;">you would like to be entered in the giveaway. Be sure to leave an e mail address in your comment.</span> <br /><br /><br />Deadline to enter is July 25th at 6:00 PM <br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/245/67B844A459B8EF7893A6AC469D545CC0.png" style="background: none; border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor;" /></a></div></div>http://kayespenguinposts.blogspot.com/2014/07/review-giveaway-house-on-mermaid-point.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kaye)7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524582297249728998.post-8238149235118745610Thu, 26 Jun 2014 13:00:00 +00002014-06-28T07:35:08.152-04:00Author A-EHistorical fictionreveiwReview: The Wild Dark Flowers: a Novel of Rutherford Park by Elizabeth Cooke<br /><br /><div class="row"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q2oK61QISOE/U3syq_v46WI/AAAAAAAAHUk/TdQnhHxdwow/s1600/18693663wild+dark+flowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q2oK61QISOE/U3syq_v46WI/AAAAAAAAHUk/TdQnhHxdwow/s1600/18693663wild+dark+flowers.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div><span itemprop="bookFormatType"><br /></span> <span itemprop="bookFormatType">Paperback</span>, <span itemprop="numberOfPages">368 pages</span></div><div class="row">Expected publication: July 1st 2014 by Berkley Trade </div><div class="buttons"><a class="left inter actionLinkLite" href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18693663-the-wild-dark-flowers?ac=1#" id="bookDataBoxShow" style="display: none;">more details...</a> <br /><div class="uitext" id="bookDataBox" style="margin: 10px 0px;"><div class="clearFloats"><div class="infoBoxRowTitle">ISBN: 0425262596 <span class="greyText">(ISBN13: <span itemprop="isbn">9780425262597</span>)</span></div><div class="infoBoxRowTitle"><span class="greyText"><br /></span></div><div class="infoBoxRowTitle"><span class="greyText"><strong>From Goodreads:</strong></span></div></div></div></div><em>"When May came that year in Rutherford, it was more beautiful than anyone could ever remember. More beautiful, and more terrible… <br /><br />From inside their sprawling estate of Rutherford Park, the Cavendish family had a privileged perspective of the world. On the first morning in May, 1915, with a splendid view that reached across the gardens to the Vale of York, nothing seemed lovelier or less threatening. And yet…<br /><br />At the risk of undoing the Cavendish name with scandal, William and Octavia Cavendish have been living a lie, maintaining a marriage out of duty rather than passion. But when their son Harry joins the Royal Flying Corps in France, the Cavendish family are forced to face the unavoidable truths about themselves, the society in which they thrive, and the secrets they can no longer bear.<br /><br />In the wake of a terrible war, the emotional shifts between a husband and a wife, a wife and her lover, and a mother and her children, will shake the very foundation of the Cavendish family, and change the uniquely vulnerable lives of all who reside at Rutherford Park."</em><br /><br /><br /><strong>My Thoughts:</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;<em>&nbsp; </em><br /><div class="uitext stacked darkGreyText" id="details"><div class="row"><br /><span class="greyText"><em>The Wild Dark Flowers: A Novel of Rutherford Park</em>&nbsp;has been compared to Downton Abbey. This is an excellent&nbsp;comparison as Rutherford is set during&nbsp;the same interesting historical timeframe and is an&nbsp;in-depth look at&nbsp;life on a large English&nbsp;estate during&nbsp;WW1.&nbsp;With&nbsp; rich&nbsp; lush descriptions, a mesmerizing&nbsp;sense of place,&nbsp;<em>The Wild Dark Flowers</em> had me hooked from page 1.&nbsp;&nbsp;Not just an intriguing character study but an eye opening social commentary on the changing times. </span><br /><br />&nbsp;War&nbsp;is a great leveler: it affected everyone&nbsp; whether upstairs or downstairs, everyone has their story.<br /><span class="greyText">Cooke did a fabulous job of bringing her numerous characters to life and giving them a unique voice. </span><br /><br /><span class="greyText">I loved the surprise ending and can't wait for the next book in the&nbsp;series Very enjoyable read. 4****</span><br /><br />Even though this is the second book in the series, it can be read as a stand-alone.<br /><br />Elizabeth Cooke is a Goodreads author and can be found on her<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/274541.Elizabeth_Cooke"> page.</a> She can also be found on her <a href="http://www.elizabethcookeauthor.com/">webpage</a> and on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Elizabeth-Cooke/170344516495348">Facebook</a>.<br /><span class="greyText"><br /></span></div></div><br />Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by The Penguin Group/Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. <br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/245/67B844A459B8EF7893A6AC469D545CC0.png" style="background-image: none; border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor;" /></a><br /><br />http://kayespenguinposts.blogspot.com/2014/06/review-wild-dark-flowers-novel-of.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kaye)6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524582297249728998.post-5279624591492100766Tue, 17 Jun 2014 13:00:00 +00002014-06-17T09:00:07.520-04:00Review: The Beekepers Ball by Susan Wiggs<div class="row"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QH4p5ASf3Yc/U3szNaULrNI/AAAAAAAAHU0/QyxQEP4CUdg/s1600/18528409beekeepers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QH4p5ASf3Yc/U3szNaULrNI/AAAAAAAAHU0/QyxQEP4CUdg/s1600/18528409beekeepers.jpg" height="320" width="210" /></a></div><span itemprop="bookFormatType"><br /></span> <span itemprop="bookFormatType"><br /></span> <span itemprop="bookFormatType">Hardcover</span>, <span itemprop="numberOfPages">368 pages</span></div><div class="row">Expected publication: June 24th 2014 by Harlequin MIRA <nobr class="greyText"> (first published January 1st 2014) </nobr> </div><div class="buttons"><a class="left inter actionLinkLite" href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18528409-the-beekeeper-s-ball?ac=1#" id="bookDataBoxShow" style="display: none;">more details...</a> <br /><div class="uitext" id="bookDataBox" style="margin: 10px 0px;"><div class="clearFloats"><div class="infoBoxRowTitle">ISBN: 0778314480 <span class="greyText">(ISBN13: <span itemprop="isbn">9780778314486</span>)</span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </div></div><div class="clearFloats"><div class="infoBoxRowTitle">edition language: English</div></div><div class="clearFloats"><div class="infoBoxRowTitle">series: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/99920-bella-vista-chronicles">Bella Vista Chronicles #2</a> </div></div><strong>From Goodreads:</strong><br /><br /><em>Isabel Johansen, a celebrated chef who grew up in the sleepy Sonoma town of Archangel, is transforming her childhood home into a destination cooking school—a unique place for other dreamers to come and learn the culinary arts. Bella Vista's rambling mission-style hacienda, with its working apple orchards, bountiful gardens and beehives, is the idyllic venue for Isabel's project…and the perfect place for her to forget the past. <br /><br />But Isabel's carefully ordered plans begin to go awry when swaggering, war-torn journalist Cormac O'Neill arrives to dig up old history. He's always been better at exposing the lives of others than showing his own closely-guarded heart, but the pleasures of small-town life and the searing sensuality of Isabel's kitchen coax him into revealing a few truths of his own. <br /><br />The dreamy sweetness of summer is the perfect time of year for a grand family wedding and the enchanting Beekeeper's Ball, bringing emotions to a head in a story where the past and present collide to create an unexpected new future. </em><br /><div class="uitext stacked darkGreyText" id="details"><div class="row"></div></div><br />My thoughts: In <em>The Apple Orchard</em>, first book in the Bella Vista Chronicles&nbsp;series, we are introduced to Isabel, her half-sister Tess and her grandfather Magnus, owner of Bella Vista. What a complicated&nbsp;history this family shares. I really&nbsp;enjoyed getting to know them. <br /><br />Wiggs continues their story in <em>The Beekeeper's Ball</em>&nbsp;while filling in a lot of Magnus's back story, how he came to the United States from Denmark right after WWII and started the orchard in the little town of Archangel.&nbsp;I Love the dual storyline format: present day California and Denmark in the early 1940's. The present day story is a lot about Isabel,&nbsp; her&nbsp;acceptance of possible romance in her life and her desire to make Bella Vista a destination&nbsp;cooking school.<br /><br /><br />With lush descriptions and sense of place, rich characterizations and a plot that just won't quit,I&nbsp; loved it, loved it, loved it! <br /><br />Oh, yeah, about the twist at the end? That promises to be most intriguing making me very impatient for the next in the series. 5*****<br /><br />&nbsp;Susan Wiggs&nbsp;can be found on her&nbsp;<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21155.Susan_Wiggs">Goodreads page</a> and on her Facebook page and her<a href="http://www.susanwiggs.com/"> web page</a>.<br /><br /><div style="border-image: none;"><strong>Disclosure</strong>: A review copy of the book was provided by Harlequin MIRA/Netgalley&nbsp; in exchange for my honest opinion. </div><div class="separator" style="border-image: none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/245/67B844A459B8EF7893A6AC469D545CC0.png" style="background: none; border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor;" /></a></div></div></div>http://kayespenguinposts.blogspot.com/2014/06/review-beekepers-ball-by-susan-wiggs.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kaye)8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524582297249728998.post-165352595819515838Tue, 10 Jun 2014 12:22:00 +00002014-06-10T08:22:00.588-04:00Author A-EContemporary fictionRomanceReview: The Promise by Robyn Carr<div class="row"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_NxfoRzCQD8/U3szDnA4OuI/AAAAAAAAHUs/mqs0uIo3mvo/s1600/18591458the+promise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_NxfoRzCQD8/U3szDnA4OuI/AAAAAAAAHUs/mqs0uIo3mvo/s1600/18591458the+promise.jpg" height="320" width="202" /></a><span itemprop="bookFormatType"></span><br /><span itemprop="bookFormatType"><span itemprop="bookFormatType"><br /></span></span> <span itemprop="bookFormatType"><span itemprop="bookFormatType"><br /></span></span> <span itemprop="bookFormatType">Mass Market Paperback</span>, <span itemprop="numberOfPages">400 pages</span></div><div class="row">Expected publication: June 24th 2014 by Harlequin MIRA </div><div class="buttons"><a class="left inter actionLinkLite" href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18591458-the-promise?ac=1#" id="bookDataBoxShow" style="display: none;">more details...</a> <br /><div class="uitext" id="bookDataBox" style="margin: 10px 0px;"><div class="clearFloats"><div class="infoBoxRowTitle"><br /></div><div class="infoBoxRowItem">ISBN: 0778316203 <span class="greyText">(ISBN13: <span itemprop="isbn">9780778316206</span>)</span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </div></div><div class="clearFloats"><div class="infoBoxRowTitle">edition language: English</div></div><div class="clearFloats"><div class="infoBoxRowTitle">series: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/98674-thunder-point">Thunder Point #5</a> </div></div></div></div><br /><strong>From Goodreads:</strong><br /><br /><div class="readable stacked" id="description" style="right: 0px;"><span id="freeTextContainer4382682802604554290" style="display: none;"><strong>#1 New York Times bestselling author Robyn Carr returns to Thunder Point with an uplifting story about overcoming loss and finding unexpected love</strong> <br /><br />Scott Grant has a bustling family practice in the small Oregon community of Thunder Point. The town and its people have embraced the widowed doctor and father of two, his children are thriving, and Scott knows it's time to move<a class="actionLinkLite" href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18591458-the-promise?ac=1#">...more</a></span> <span id="freeText4382682802604554290"><em>Scott Grant has a bustling family practice in the small Oregon community of Thunder Point. The town and its people have embraced the widowed doctor and father of two, his children are thriving, and Scott knows it's time to move on from his loss. But as the town's only doctor, the dating scene is awkward. That is, until a stunning physician's assistant applies for a job at his clinic. <br /><br />Peyton Lacoumette considers herself entirely out of the dating scene. She's already been burned by a man with kids, and she's come to Thunder Point determined not to repeat past mistakes. When Scott offers her a job, at a much lower salary than she's used to, Peyton is surprisingly eager to accept…at least for now. She's willing to stay for a three-month trial period while she explores other options. <br /><br />Scott and Peyton know the arrangement is temporary—it isn't enough time to build a real relationship, never mind anything with lasting commitment. But love can blossom faster than you think when the timing is right, and this short visit just might hold the promise of forever.</em></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </div><div class="uitext stacked darkGreyText" id="details"><div class="row"><br /></div><div class="row"><strong>My Thoughts:</strong></div></div><br /><br />Every book is this series is wonderful, the magic just keeps on happening. Robyn Carr can write a romance and stories of family&nbsp;like no one else. All her books are so enjoyable, I haven't found one yet that I didn't like. I just couldn't put this one down. It was so interesting to read of the Basque culture and I just loved all the characters. Okay, there was one or two I could have given a dummy slap to but the rest of the recurring characters was a nice catch-up with old friends. <br /><br />Highly recommended for fans of romance, family stories and contemporary fiction. 5****<br /><br /><br /><div style="border-image: none;">Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Harlequin MIRA/Netgalley&nbsp; in exchange for my honest opinion. </div><div class="separator" style="border-image: none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/245/67B844A459B8EF7893A6AC469D545CC0.png" style="background: none; border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor;" /></a></div>http://kayespenguinposts.blogspot.com/2014/06/review-promise-by-robyn-carr.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kaye)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524582297249728998.post-7290135924937840072Wed, 04 Jun 2014 15:57:00 +00002014-06-04T11:57:27.958-04:00Author T-ZreviewReview: That Summer by Lauren Willig<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iOpm4F5brKU/U4oxq3AEeDI/AAAAAAAAHVU/6__u4AjCz-w/s1600/18404166.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iOpm4F5brKU/U4oxq3AEeDI/AAAAAAAAHVU/6__u4AjCz-w/s1600/18404166.jpg" height="320" width="210" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div class="row" style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></div><br /><div class="row"><span itemprop="bookFormatType">Hardcover</span>, <span itemprop="numberOfPages">352 pages</span></div><div class="row">Expected publication: June 3rd 2014 by St. Martin's Press </div><div class="buttons"><a class="left inter actionLinkLite" href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18404166-that-summer?ac=1#" id="bookDataBoxShow" style="display: none;">more details...</a> <br /><div class="uitext" id="bookDataBox" style="margin: 10px 0px;"><div class="clearFloats"><div class="infoBoxRowTitle">ISBN: 1250014506 <span class="greyText">(ISBN13: <span itemprop="isbn">9781250014504</span>)</span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </div></div><div class="clearFloats"><div class="infoBoxRowTitle">edition language: English</div></div><div class="clearFloats"><div class="infoBoxRowTitle">url: <a href="http://us.macmillan.com/thatsummer/LaurenWillig" target="_blank">http://us.macmillan.com/thatsummer/LaurenWillig</a> </div></div></div></div>When Julia inherits a house in England from an aunt she has never heard of, she thinks it's a hoax. Her stoic father assures her it is real. He remembers the house. Not that he ever told Julia any of this but that's just the way he is.<br /><br />Julia decides to go to England and check out her windfall thinking she would clean it up a little and sell it. Well, little did she know she would get caught up in her family's history, treasures and secrets.<br /><br />Told from two different time frames, present day and mid-nineteenth century, Willig presents two intriguing tales. Sometimes, with dual time frames, I find one story grabs me a bit more than the other. Not so with <em>That Summer, </em>I got caught up in both of them and couldn't wait to see how it all panned out.<br /><br />Excellent sense of place, well developed characters, fluid dialogue and a wonderful plot line made for an enchanting read. 4****<br /><br /><div style="border-image: none;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/245/67B844A459B8EF7893A6AC469D545CC0.png" style="background: none; border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor;" /></a>Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by&nbsp;St.&nbsp;Martin's Press&nbsp;in exchange for my honest opinion. </div>http://kayespenguinposts.blogspot.com/2014/06/review-that-summer-by-lauren-willig.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kaye)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8524582297249728998.post-1987423312359215670Tue, 03 Jun 2014 14:19:00 +00002014-08-20T17:31:36.591-04:00FictionSpotlightSpotlight: Here and Again by Nicole R. Dickson and The Never Never Sisters by L. Alison Heller<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v48PY186xZQ/U43ZzyXt5OI/AAAAAAAAHVk/9S4jypDejBY/s1600/18552855here+and+again.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v48PY186xZQ/U43ZzyXt5OI/AAAAAAAAHVk/9S4jypDejBY/s1600/18552855here+and+again.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a><br /><br /><br /><em>These&nbsp;look and sound like good ones.&nbsp; Release day is today. </em><em>Don't miss them!</em><br /><br /><br />Paperback, 400 pages<br /><br />Expected publication: June 3rd 2014 by NAL Trade <br /><em><br /></em><em><br /></em><br /><em>Deep in the Shenandoah Valley, the present and the past are as restless as the river mists. And when they collide, the heart is the only compass pointing home.</em><br /><em><br /></em><br /><em></em><br /><em>For nurse Ginger Martin, her late husband’s farm is both a treasured legacy and the harbinger of an uncertain future. Since he was recently killed in Iraq, every day is fraught with grief that won’t abate. Keeping the farm going and nourishing her children’s hopes without him seems as impossible as having dreams for the future—or going back into the past....</em><br /><em><br /></em><br /><em></em><br /><em>By a curious coincidence, a stranger appears in Ginger’s life, always showing up to help in unexpected and much-needed ways. He says he’s a soldier, lost and trying to make his way home, but Ginger understands that Samuel is a kindred spirit, longing to repair a life interrupted. The challenges of their hopes and longings will test who they really are in the most heartbreaking of ways. And only by coming to terms with their losses and the necessity of change will Ginger and Samuel be able to each make a future of their own—and discover at last where their true home lies....</em><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-027Xj4wYa9A/U43Z2_hE1aI/AAAAAAAAHVs/3xzbjLcio3c/s1600/18693818never+never+sisters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-027Xj4wYa9A/U43Z2_hE1aI/AAAAAAAAHVs/3xzbjLcio3c/s1600/18693818never+never+sisters.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a><br /><br /><div class="row"><span itemprop="bookFormatType">Paperback</span>, <span itemprop="numberOfPages">352 pages</span></div><div class="row">Expected publication: June 3rd 2014 by NAL Trade </div><div class="buttons"><a class="left inter actionLinkLite" href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18693818-the-never-never-sisters?ac=1#" id="bookDataBoxShow" style="display: none;">more details...</a> <br /><div class="uitext" id="bookDataBox" style="margin: 10px 0px;"><div class="clearFloats"><div class="infoBoxRowTitle">ISBN: 0451416244 <span class="greyText">(ISBN13: <span itemprop="isbn">9780451416247</span>)</span> </div></div></div></div>From Goodreads:<br /><br /><span id="freeText18443742494387353384"><em><strong>An absorbing, highly entertaining novel about family secrets, The Never Never Sisters introduces you to the strong-willed and big-hearted Reinhardt women, as they reunite one summer in New York. Gifted storyteller L. Alison Heller has written another witty and moving page-turner that will captivate readers and keep them guessing right up until the satisfying end.</strong><br /><br /><strong>Sometimes you just need to get away….</strong><br /><br />Marriage counselor Paige Reinhardt is counting down the days to summer, eager to reconnect with her workaholic husband at their cozy rental cottage in the Hamptons. But soon a mysterious crisis at Dave’s work ruins their getaway plans. Paige is still figuring out how to handle the unexplained chill in her marriage when her troubled sister suddenly returns after a two-decade silence. Now, instead of enjoying the lazy summer days along the ocean, Paige is navigating the rocky waters of a forgotten bond with her sister in the sweltering city heat.<br /><br />As she attempts to dig deeper into Dave’s work troubles and some long-held family secrets, Paige is shocked to discover how little she knows about the people closest to her. This summer, the self-proclaimed relationship expert will grapple with her biggest challenge yet: Is it worth risking your most precious relationships in order to find yourself?</em></span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/245/67B844A459B8EF7893A6AC469D545CC0.png" style="background: none; border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor;" /></a>http://kayespenguinposts.blogspot.com/2014/06/spotlight-here-again-by-nicole-r.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kaye)1